Ah! My System Bug
by Gekigengar3
Summary: In the midst of training, Ranma makes an unusual friend. A friend that will help him fulfill a destiny neither has any knowledge of. Ranma/AMG cross. R&R + Send Fanart!
1. Chapter 1 Revised January 17th 2004

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-- Ah! My System Bug --  
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--Chapter 1--  
  
By: Gekigengar3  


  
  
Disclaimer: All characters, and such are the copyrights and property of their respective owners. I claim no ownership of any character and such in any way.  
  
"" = Spoken words  
** = Thoughts  
[] = Mental Communication  
  
  
Deep within the offices of Asgard, a man older than time itself watched as certain events on Midgard played out. In particular, the happenings of a human youth that he had been watching for some time. Smiling to himself at the antics of the child, the man entered a few commands into his holographic computer. Once finished, he leaned back and watched as nature began to take it's course.   
  
Soon the events he set in motion would begin. It saddened him that the youth would be put through the things his father had in store for him. But if things went right, then a mistake he'd made thousands of millennia before would finally be corrected.   
  
*******************  
  
Down on Midgard, at the edge of a small forest...  
  
A balding man in a white gi nodded to himself as the last of the preparations were completed. Checking the manual one last time, he noted that he'd setup the area just as was described in the weathered book. Tossing the manual on top of his backpack, he chuckled to himself at the thought of such a powerful technique soon belonging to his son. Now all that was left to do was to get the boy and begin the training that had been outlined in the book.  
  
Nearby, said boy was going through a kata his father had just recently taught him. He had yet to complete it without making an error. However that did not stop him from trying again, each time better than the last. He knew he'd begin training with his father again. It was only a matter of time.   
  
While practicing, the youth thought about what his father had been doing lately. The older man had gotten ahold of an old manual of some sort when they had visited a chinese antique shop just recently. Since then, his father had been busy collecting things for some technique he'd found within the pages of that yellowed tome. The main thing that had been collected for the technique had confused him considerably. How a bunch of cats were going to teach him a technique, he didn't know.  
  
As the boy's father came into the small clearing his son was practicing in, he couldn't help but be proud of the boy. His son was a natural at the art. A student that was always eager to learn new techniques. He watched as his son went through the latest kata he had shown him. It wasn't perfect, but it was steadily improving with each try. After watching for a few moments, he finally decided it was time to interrupt his son's practice and begin the training he had been preparing for.  
  
Clearing his throat, the man in the white gi said, "That's enough for now Ranma. It's time to start learning a new technique."  
  
Running up to the man, Ranma smiled up at the big man. "What kinda technique poppa?"  
  
Smiling back at his son, Genma kneeled down next to him. Putting an arm around his son's shoulder, Genma looked into the distance as he held his free arm forward, hand wide open.   
  
"It is a technique that is said to be unstoppable. A martial art so powerful that few can master it. Only those that are truly gifted in the art can even think about learning it. It is non other than, the Neko-Ken!" said Genma as though he were trying to sell someone a used car that looked far better than it actually was.  
  
His eyes sparkling, Ranma said, "Wow...!"  
  
Chuckling, Genma replied, "Wow indeed. You are very gifted in the art son. I just know you will be able to master this technique."  
  
Jumping up and down in joy, Ranma said, "Really?!"  
  
Nodding, Genma said, "Yep. Now come on, it's time for you to begin learning it."  
  
"Yatta!" cried Ranma as he quickly followed his father to the site where the preparations had been made.  
  
Arriving at the site, Genma strolled over to a large box he had recently liberated from a nearby meat market. Motioning his son over, Genma began taking out lengths of fish sausage and wrapping his boy in them.  
  
A little confused, Ranma asked, "What's this for poppa?"  
  
Smirking, Genma replied, "It's part of the training son. The cats won't help you learn the technique unless you are wearing this."  
  
"Why?" asked an inquisitive Ranma.  
  
Thinking a quick moment, Genma replied, "Well, if the cats are going to help you learn the technique, they are going to want something in return. That's what this is for. You'll be exchanging the sausages for the technique."  
  
Understanding shining in his eyes, Ranma nodded with a big smile.  
  
Chuckling a little at the enthusiasm his son was showing, Genma finished wrapping the fish sausages around his son. Looking him over, Genma nodded to himself. They were all securely wrapped around his body.  
  
Standing up, Genma took his son's hand in his own and led him to the trap door that led to the pit he'd setup for the training. The sounds of cats yowling could be heard coming from the endless depths of the pit.   
  
"It's time boy. Now get in there and make me proud." said Genma before opening the trap door.  
  
Stepping to the edge, Ranma peered into the dark recesses of the pit. Glancing over at his poppa, Ranma saw a smile upon his father's face. Smiling back, Ranma turned back toward the pit entrance. Taking a breath, he jumped in...  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Up in Asgard, deep within the bowels of Yggdrasil, a certain goddess of the future was quietly stalking her elusive prey. She had tracked several of the creatures for the past few hours and only now was she finally closing in. Her senses on alert, her debugging goggles on, and her patented Skuld Mark II Debugging Hammer firmly in her grip, she was ready to fulfill her mission and smash the little buggers into oblivion.  
  
Movement to her right alerted her that one of her quarry was near. Stealthily she snuck toward it, trying to hide her presence as much as possible. Hiding behind a large root, she slowly peaked around it. There, gnawing on a wire, she finally spotted one of the elusive bugs that had plagued her life as a debugger. Gripping her hammer tighter, she prepared to leap out and smash the critter into paste. However at that moment, as is the nature of system bugs, the unexpected happened.  
  
Just as she was about to attack, another bug hopped into view, only a few feet away from her current target. This bug was unlike the one she had been about to debug. Unlike her primary target, this new bug wasn't your average run of the mill bug. This one had black fur, white tipped ears, and a golden circlet around it's brow. A small black jewel was set into the front of the golden circlet.  
  
Upon seeing the new arrival, Skuld almost dropped her hammer right there. What stood there was a bug she had thought only to be legend. A myth that was older than herself. She'd studied all that Yggdrasil had on system bugs. Even some information she wasn't supposed to have read. She had been surprised to learn that there were five classes of bugs.  
  
Of all the classes of bugs, the most common were the Class One Bugs. They were slow, dumb, and the easiest to debug. Unlike the other four classes, the class one's did not wear a circlet. They were what she ran into the most during her debugging excursions.  
  
After the Class One's, came the Class Two bugs. These bugs were slightly more intelligent and could cause more problems than the Class One's. They were not as common as the Class One's either. These wore a gold circlet with a diamond embedded into it.  
  
Then there were the Class Three's. This class of bug had slightly darker fur, was more intelligent, and it's power was higher than that of the Class One's and Two's. This class of bug was very uncommon. Only one in a several hundred million bugs ever came into Class Three standing. They wore a circlet with a crimson ruby embedded into it.  
  
Next were the Class Four's. They were exceptionally rare. Only one in several hundred billion ever reached Class Four status. Their fur was a grayish color with off-white eartips. They were very intelligent and their power was very high. A dark sapphire jewel was embedded into the circlet that the Class Four's wore.  
  
Finally were the Class Five's. In all of creation, there had only been one Class Five bug ever recorded to have existed. And that had been hundreds of millennia before she had come into being. Back in the time before time. A time before creation.  
  
The Class Five bugs had fur that was a midnight black, with eartips a pearly white. Their intelligence was of a level that was similar to that of a genius. The golden circlet they wore had a black onyx jewel embedded into it. It signified the bug's final evolution.  
  
All information about Class Five bugs was restricted and put under the second heaviest of encryption's, just behind the encryption on Kami-sama himself. Information on Class Four bugs was restricted as well but not as heavily encrypted as the Class Five's or Kami-sama. The only reason she knew what was in front of her was because she had gotten bored one day and decided to hack the files on the higher classes of bugs.   
  
The encryption on the Class Fours wasn't very hard to crack for a computer technician of her caliber. However it had taken over six months for her to crack even a small portion of the information on the Class Five's. And even then, she still hadn't been able to learn very much about them. All she knew was that they could, at will, tap into the very power of one of the two main aspects of the universe itself, Chaos.   
  
The other aspect of the universe, Order, was what she, gods, goddesses, demons, mortals, and other creatures too numerous to mention tapped into to live. Most gods and goddesses didn't know or didn't care about how the universe worked on a grand scale. Neither did most demons either. That was why they always made the false assumption that they were beings of chaos. No, most beings of order didn't know what the universe was composed of nor did they care for the most part. All they cared about was that they drew energy from somewhere to simply exist.  
  
Of all living beings throughout creation, only bugs tapped into the power of Chaos. That was why odd things always happened around them. Chaotic energy was wildly unpredictable and very few beings of order could even begin to comprehend it, let alone try to predict it. Briefly she wondered if her father knew why only bugs and no other living thing tapped into the power of Chaos.   
  
That was a question to ponder for another time. For now, she had to get help. She could handle Class Three's and below easily enough. After reading about the higher classes of bugs, she had upgraded her debugging hammer to handle Class Four's. However it would take a several hits to successfully debug those. No, there was no way she'd be able to debug a Class Five bug. They were the only being she knew of that could tap into the power of Chaos at will and she didn't have enough information to make a debugging tool that powerful.  
  
There was only one person she knew of that could help her. And that was her father, Kami-sama himself. Quietly, step by step, she backed away from the Class Five bug. As soon as she was far enough away from it, she turned and ran as fast as she could toward her father's office. Had she remained there another minute longer, she would have been witness to the bug being sucked into a portal of pure mana.  
  
Within his office, Kami-sama whispered, "It has begun..."  
  
*******************  
  
Back down on Midgard...  
  
Pain. Hot, searing, blinding pain. That was all he knew at the moment. The many ravenous cats within the pit were after the fish sausage that had been wrapped around him. He had tried to get it off earlier, but it had been tied on too tight by his father. Now, all he could do was curl up in a ball and pray the cats stopped hurting him.  
  
Within the embrace of pain, little Ranma could only wonder why his poppa wanted to hurt him like this. He looked up to his poppa and tried to learn all he could from the large man. Why would his father allow him to be tortured like this? Did his father not love him anymore? Did he do something to anger the man he called poppa?  
  
All this and more ran through Ranma's mind as the pain continued to assault him. He cried as he wished for the pain to stop. For his father to come to his rescue. For...anyone...to come to his rescue.  
  
As the cats continued to claw, scratch, and sink their teeth into each other as well as Ranma so that they could eat, a swirling white portal appeared suddenly. It only stayed open for a moment before it snapped shut, delivering a small bundle of fur.  
  
Sensing the new arrival, the cats stopped clawing for the fish sausage and began to hiss at the area where they sensed the creature that had appeared. All their instinctual responses screamed to them that something had just arrived, was out of the ordinary, felt dangerous to them, and therefore was a threat to them.   
  
The Class Five bug shook it's head to get rid of the slight dizziness that had accompanied it's sudden journey from Asgard to Midgard. Once the dizzy spell had cleared, it opened it's eyes to see a large number of cats hissing in it's general direction.   
  
It was curious as to where it was. But that thought only lasted a brief moment as it saw what the cats were on and around. Seeing the small human child and the condition it was in caused the bug to become angry. Angry at the cats for hurting a child. And angry at whoever would put a child in this kind of danger.   
  
For during it's travels, it had heard of the Neko-Ken. And it knew that the only qualified teachers of it were Bastet and Sekmet. It had heard of the perverted method of training the humans had devised to acquire the powerful technique, but it never thought it would witness it firsthand. The pit it was in matched perfectly to what it knew of the way the humans tried to teach it.   
  
The bug's heart went out to the child. No child deserved to be inflicted with so much pain. Glancing at the cats, the bug decided to help the young human. It's resolve firmed, the bug called upon the power of Chaos to get rid of the cats. Glowing black, the bug focused the power towards the many cats within the pit. Slowly, each cat began to disappear with a slight pop of displaced air. Soon they all disappeared and the black glow faded away from around the bug.  
  
Hopping over to the crying boy, the bug felt saddened at the pain the boy had endured. Reaching into itself once more, it tapped the power of Chaos and sent the energy into the child to try and heal it's wounds.  
  
*******************  
  
Far away from the pit's location, in a european country, a few hundred years in the past, several dozen cats appeared out of thin air. Now this would would have been fine had they not been fifteen or so feet up in the air. Falling to the ground, all the cats made perfect landings on their feet.  
  
Nearby, on the steps of an old violin shop, a man observed the arrival of the many cats. A smile upon his face, he clasped his hands together, gazed up into the sky, and said, "Thank You!"   
  
The man's prayers had been answered. He was a violin maker. And that required cat gut for making the strings. For months he had been praying for cats, and now his prayers had been answered.   
  
Quickly, he began to gather the cats up. Some managed to escape, but the rest were not as fortunate. All to soon, the man tied closed the bag that was bulging and hissing. Slinging the bag of cats over his shoulder, the man whistled a happy tune as he entered his shop. The sign above the door said, 'Stratavarious Violins'  
  
Centuries later, music collectors pondered how Stratavarious could have made such beautiful sounding violins. Little did they know that the cats which the strings had come from had been touched with the power of Chaos before they died. And that the power in the strings had seeped into the wood of the violins allowing the music to take on a sound that was richer and could harmonize with part of the universe itself.   
  
*******************  
  
Up in Asgard...  
  
Moments before Skuld could burst into his office, Kami-sama struck several keys on the holographic computer in front of him. Twin monitors hovering over his desk showed two separate things. On one, the file of one Ranma Saotome. The other, the events happening in the pit down on Midgard.  
  
As the last key was struck, the file of Ranma Saotome was irrevocably changed. Once the change had occurred, security protocols that he had setup began to take affect. Ranma's file, once free for any divine being to gaze upon, was encrypted. But not any normal encryption. This level of encryption was reserved for files of such sensitive nature that only he was allowed to view them. And in all of Yggdrasil, only two or three files ever held that high a level of security. One of which were the files on himself. Now, there was one more.  
  
Gazing upon the monitor that showed young Ranma's plight, Kami-sama smiled as the black glow of the bug began to surround Ranma and all the cuts and scratches from the cats finally began to heal.  
  
Turning off the displays, Kami-sama leaned back in his chair. All that was left to do now was wait for the unexpected. Well, unexpected to anyone but him. He had experience with a Class Five bug and the level of control it wielded over the energies of Chaos.   
  
Thinking back a moment, Kami-sama could only wonder what he was thinking in trying to tame to energies of Chaos. His effort led to the spontaneous creation of the bugs that plagued Yggdrasil and led his debuggers to endless bouts of bug smashing.   
  
Smiling at the memory, Kami-sama stroked the bundle of black fur that rested in his lap. It moved a little at his touch but remained where it was for the most part.   
The bundle in his lap had been the first of the bugs. Born of the primal energies of chaos, it had come into being as a Class Five. It had been the only Class Five in existence since then. That was, until now. Now, it had a sister that was on Midgard to fulfill a plan she had no knowledge of.  
  
The buzz of his intercom broke Kami-sama out of his thoughts of the past. Answering it, he gave his permission for his daughter to enter his office. Leaning back, Kami-sama pondered what to tell his daughter so that she would be able to calm down. Remembering something, he smiled as he figured out just what to say.  
  
Skuld, Goddess of the Future, stepped into Kami-sama's office with as much bravery as she could muster. She didn't want to admit it, but the sighting of that bug had scared her more than anything else she could think of. She'd seen a myth, something that wasn't supposed to exist, and yet she could not deny she had seen it.  
  
Behind her, the large heavy doors closed while she continued forward to her fathers desk. Upon arrival, she waited for him to speak. Despite the threat she thought the bug represented, she had to stick with proper protocol. It didn't matter how much she wanted to run up to him, jump into his lap, and cry like there was no tomorrow.  
  
Gazing down upon his daughter, Kami-sama smiled. He could see that despite the front, she was very scared and was trying to hide it as much as she could. He couldn't fault her for it. She'd just seen something that nobody, beside him, was supposed to know about. Plus the fact that she was still fairly young and very impressionable.  
  
"Hello Daughter." said Kami-sama.  
  
Bowing, Skuld replied, "Hello Father."  
  
Clearing his throat, Kami-sama said, "I know why you are here my daughter."  
  
Curious, Skuld replied, "You do?"  
  
Nodding, Kami-sama said, "Yes I do. You see, the bug you saw is one I have been watching for some time."  
  
Shocked, Skuld said, "What!? But why? It's a danger to Yggdrasil and all of creation! It's got to be debugged!"  
  
"I have my reasons. But first, come closer. I wish to show you something." said Kami-sama.  
  
Nodding shakily, Skuld stepped up till she was right next to her father's desk. She wondered briefly what he wanted to show her just before he set a small bundle of fur onto the desk top.  
  
"I would like you to meet one of my oldest friends." he said smiling.  
  
Curious, she peered closer. At first she was unsure as to what it was, but soon she realized what the bundle of fur was. It was a Class Five system bug.  
  
Gasping, she stepped back. "W..W..What is that doing here!?" she shakily said.  
  
"Don't be afraid my daughter. He won't hurt you." said Kami-sama, trying to calm his daughter down.  
  
"But it's a Class Five!." she half yelled. Fear and Panic in her voice.  
  
"Do not worry. He has been my friend for longer than time itself. And you are right, he is a Class Five system bug. His name is Ramsus." said Kami-sama gently, trying to calm his panicked daughter.  
  
Confused, Skuld began to look back and forth between her father and the bug sitting on his desk. Hundred of thoughts raced through her head. But the main question that came to mind was...How..."  
  
"How?" she said. Still shocked at seeing a myth twice in one day however slowly calming down due to her father's gentle voice and quiet assurances.  
  
Seeing as how his daughter was still frightened, Kami-sama said, "Come closer. I shall answer your question but only if you do something first."  
  
Unsure, Skuld hesitated a moment before complying with her father. As soon as she was back next to the desk, her father requested her hand. Trusting her father knew best, she put her right hand into her father's.   
  
Stroking Skuld's hand for a moment, Kami-sama said, "I want you to place your hand upon my friend and stroke his fur. Do not worry, he will not bite you. He just wants to be your friend."  
  
Slowly her hand descended toward the midnight black bug. It's eyes watching her as her hand came closer and closer. She was scared, but the touch of her father helped to calm her. Soon, her hand rested upon the soft fur of a myth.  
  
Guiding his daughter's hand, Kami-sama smiled as Skuld began to stroke the fur of his long time friend. He was even happier when she kept stroking even after he had removed his own hand.   
  
At first she had been frightened but now that she was stroking the soft fur of the bug, her fear slowly began to drain out of her. Nothing had happened. Nothing had blown up. All that happened was her fear draining out of her and the soft purrs of the little bug. Slowly a childlike smile began to form upon her face.  
  
Closing it's eyes, the bug began to enjoy the sensations of having it's fur stroked. It knew that Skuld was frightened of it but it also knew that what had transpired between father and daughter was necessary if it's friend was to do what needed to be done.  
  
Smiling at his daughter, Kami-sama said, "You see? Nothing to be afraid of."  
  
Looking up at her father, Skuld smiled softly, her hand still stroking the bug on the desk. "But I thought...?" said Skuld.  
  
Shaking his head, Kami-sama replied, "Skuld, you should not even know of the existence of Class Five system bugs. But you do. However your information is not complete. You were only able to get a glimmer of what was contained within the file you tried to hack into."  
  
Looking down, an ashamed Skuld asked, "You know about that?"  
  
Nodding, Kami-sama said, "Yes I do. And no, I am not angry with you. You were merely curious and that is a admirable quality. However you should have come to me first and asked if you could learn more."  
  
"I'm sorry." said Skuld looking back up at her father.  
  
Smiling gently, Kami-sama said, "Apology accepted."  
  
"So what didn't I know?" asked Skuld.  
  
Sighing, Kami-sama said, "I'm afraid I cannot tell you much due to a special project I have going on. However I can tell you that there are only two Class Five's in existence. The one you are petting was the first and only until now. The one you saw earlier is the other."  
  
Still relatively short, Skuld leaned forward and put her chin down on the desk. She gazed upon the bug as she stroked it's fur. The two were only a half inch apart for a few moments before the bug licked Skuld's nose. Yelping in surprise, Skuld jumped back a foot.  
  
Chuckling, Kami-sama said, "I think he likes you."  
  
Giggling a little before returning to her original position, Skuld said, "I like him too."  
  
Smiling, Kami-sama said, "Is there anything else you would like to know?"  
  
Thinking a moment, Skuld nodded, "Yes, how is it I can see him without my goggles and what about the other one?"  
  
"Well, the reason you can see him without your goggles is because Class Five's can become visible to beings of order whenever they want to. However it is rare that they will." said Kami-sama.  
  
Nodding, Skuld said, "What about the other one?"  
  
"The other Class Five that you saw earlier is currently occupied fixing a mistake I made thousands of millennia ago." replied Kami-sama.  
  
Curious, Skuld asked, "What kind of mistake?"  
  
Shaking his head, Kami-sama replied, "I cannot tell you now. Ask me again in twelve years and I shall answer that question."  
  
Nodding, Skuld returned to petting the bug on the desk. Smiling, she giggled occasionally as the bug did cute and humorous things.  
  
"Now then, I think it's time you got back to debugging. That one bug that you didn't debug is starting to cause some problems with some of the smaller systems in that area." said Kami-sama.  
  
"Oh no! I forgot all about the bugs I was tracking!" Skuld said before turning to quickly get back to her duties.  
  
Before she could leave, Kami-sama said, "Skuld, I have something to tell you."  
  
Turning back toward her father, Skuld said, "Yes?"  
  
"You mustn't speak a word of what we talked about to anyone else. Not even your sisters. However you may talk to me. And to make sure you do not inadvertently let what we talked about slip out either voluntarily or involuntarily, I want you to drink this potion. It will prevent anyone learning about this subject from you through any means." said Kami-sama tossing a potion to his daughter.  
  
Catching the potion that her father lobbed to her, Skuld looked at it a moment before pulling the stopper out and drinking the contents. She glowed a gentle blue for a moment before returning to normal.  
  
"Why do I have to be prevented from telling others?" asked Skuld.  
  
Sighing, Kami-sama replied, "As of now, only you and I know of the existence of the Class Five bugs. If others were to learn of them before my plan is complete, it could lead to an unpleasant future. Not only for us, but for all living creatures great and small."  
  
"It's that important!" said a shocked Skuld.  
  
Nodding, Kami-sama replied, "Yes it is. We may talk about this later. For now, I think you have some bugs to debug."  
  
With a quick nod, Skuld turned and left the office. As the doors closed behind her, Kami-sama watched them for a moment before running his hand across the fur of the bug sitting on his desk.  
  
Looking up at Kami-sama, Ramsus thought, ["Why didn't you tell her about the telepathic communication we share?"]  
  
["It wasn't necessary. I told her what she needed to know so that her curiosity would be satisfied."] thought Kami-sama.  
  
["She'll be back you know."] thought Ramsus.  
  
["Yes, I know. She always has been curious. An admirable quality but one that has gotten her into trouble before."] thought Kami-sama.  
  
["Do you think your plan will work?"] asked Ramsus mentally.  
  
Sighing, Kami-sama replied mentally, ["It has to work. Otherwise all of creation will be destroyed."]  
  
Hopping back into Kami-sama's lap, Ramsus thought, ["Then let us hope your plan succeeds."]  
  
Nodding, Kami-sama returned to petting Ramsus. His thoughts on the hope for all creation...  
  
*******************  
  
Back at the pit on Midgard...  
  
The energy the bug sent into Ranma's body had at first caused him to cry out in pain. The bug had been tempted to stop right away but before it could, the cries ceased and the injuries began to heal slowly. Sighing to itself, the bug had increased the energy transfer in an attempt to speed up the healing process. It hadn't been sure at first if this would have worked. But now that it knew it would work, it felt safe to heal Ranma's prone form faster.  
  
Currently, the child was almost healed. Most of the injuries were finished healing and all that was left was for the final parts of the healing process to finish. A soft black glow surrounded both Ranma and the bug. As soon as the final injury was healed, the bug stopped sending energy into Ranma's body.  
  
However as with how Chaos usually worked, something unexpected happened when the bug tried to heal Ranma. Curious, the bug wondered why the black glow still persisted around the injured boy's body. The glow should have faded away since there was no more power being supplied.  
  
Seeing that the aura wasn't hurting anything, the bug shrugged it off for the time being and decided to check on the boy. Hopping over, the bug nudged Ranma in an effort to wake him up. The healing process had put him to sleep and now that it was complete, the bug wanted to make sure that Ranma would be ok.  
  
A few nudges were all it took for Ranma to begin waking up. Opening his eyes, he was met with darkness. At first he thought it was night but the memories began coming back to him. The pit of cats. The training his father was trying to put him through. The indescribable pain unlike any he had felt before.  
  
Sitting up slowly, Ranma looked around the pit. Oddly enough, despite there being almost no light, he could see relatively well. His scan revealed nothing but the pit walls. Not a single cat in sight.  
  
A small brush of fur against his hand alerted Ranma to another presence in the pit. Looking down, Ranma saw a small bundle of black fur looking up at him. At first, he thought it was a cat, but movement of long ears told him differently. That combined with the creature's eight legs definitely classified it as something other than a cat.  
  
"What are you?" asked Ranma. More to himself than the bug. He knew he wouldn't get any answers from the small creature. That was why he was surprised when he actually did receive a response.  
  
["Hmm...Well I suppose you could say I'm something of a cross between a Rabbit and a Bug. However as to the question of what I am, well the answer to that would be a System Bug."] thought the bug. However what came out of it's mouth were several chitters.  
  
Blinking a moment, Ranma quickly turned his head back toward the small creature, disbelief shown on his face. He wasn't exactly sure, but he could have sworn the small creature had told him it was a System Bug, whatever that was. Before he could ponder further, he began to get a little light headed from the quick motion. Slumping down, Ranma put a hand to his head.  
  
"Ugh..." he said.  
  
As Ranma slumped down from the small bout of dizziness, the bug was blinking in confusion. When the boy had looked at it, it had seen something around the boy's head that shouldn't have been there.   
  
Looking again, it confirmed it's earlier observations. There, around the boy's head, was a golden circlet. A jewel, blacker than it's own was nestled in the center. Around it, five smaller jewels were set into a star pattern.   
  
At the top was a onyx jewel, the same shade as it's own. To the right, was a dark sapphire. Down from that rested a diamond. To the left of that was an odd greenish colored jewel that seemed to change shades every so often the longer one stared at it. Above that, next to the black jewel, was a crimson ruby.  
  
It was broken out of it's observation, by Ranma's voice. Turning it's attention from the circlet to Ranma himself, the bug watched as Ranma's hand was in contact with the circlet. Apparently, the young boy had found the new addition.  
  
"What the?" said Ranma as his hand felt the band of gold around his head. Wondering what the object was, Ranma attempted to remove it. However it seemed to be stuck and could not be easily removed.  
  
Sighing, Ranma once more looked back down at the creature that had called itself a system bug. He wondered what that was briefly before deciding to speak and see if what he had heard earlier was just his imagination.  
  
"What's a system bug?" asked Ranma.  
  
Blinking again, only this time in slight shock, the bug wondered how the boy had understood it. From it's knowledge, the only beings that could understand a system bug were other system bugs. Thinking to what happened earlier, the bug remembered chittering out an answer to the boy's question. However it also had thought the answer. Seeing that Ranma was waiting for an answer, the bug decided to first try something.   
  
["Can you understand me?"] thought the bug.  
  
Nodding, Ranma wondered where the sound was coming from. He didn't hear anything through his ears. The voice sounded almost like it was in his head.  
  
It's hypothesis proven, the bug answered Ranma's question from earlier. ["Well, now that I know we can communicate, I'll answer your earlier question. A system bug is a being such as myself that utilizes the power of Chaos to live. We are the only beings in creation to utilize that aspect of the universe. We were called system bugs by the maintainers of Yggdrasil. Since we can't communicate with them, the issue of what we are has never really come up."]  
  
Confused, young Ranma said, "Huh?"  
  
Sighing as it had forgotten that the boy was still fairly young, the bug simply thought, ["How about I put it this way. A system bug is a creature that is friendly and kind."]  
  
Understanding, Ranma smiled.   
  
Smiling as only a bug can smile, the bug thought, ["I saw earlier that you discovered the circlet upon your head."]  
  
Reaching up once more to the circlet, Ranma, unfamiliar with the word, asked, "Circlet?"  
  
Sighing once again, the bug thought, ["The band of metal that is around your head. It's what is called a circlet. Usually they are made of valuable metals such as gold or silver. The one around your head appears to be gold. If you look at me, you'll see that I wear a circlet as well."]  
  
Nodding now that he understood what a circlet was, Ranma looked at the circlet on the bug's head. Thinking it was pretty, he wondered what his own looked like.  
  
As if on cue, part of the black aura around Ranma coalesced into a flat reflective surface just a foot in front of his face. Blinking in shock for a moment, Ranma noticed the shiny circlet around his head. Turning his head from one side to the other, he smiled as the thought it looked neat on him.  
  
No longer curious as to how he looked, the reflective surface disappeared and the energy was reabsorbed into the still burning black aura around his body. It was at this time that Ranma finally noticed the reason he was able to see in the pit.  
  
Looking down at his arm, Ranma could see his arm but there was a black flame surrounding it. Panicking, Ranma tried to put out the flame. His attempt however was met with no success as the flame continued to burn and began to increase in intensity as Ranma's fear grew.  
  
"Ah! I'm on fire!" yelled Ranma.  
  
Observing what was happening, not only with Ranma but also the black aura, the bug decided it had better try and calm the child down before things got out of control. It had wondered why the aura had remained even after the energy transfer had ceased. Now it had an inkling of what might have taken place.  
  
Hopping closer, the bug thought, ["Shhh...Calm down. You're not on fire. The 'flames' will not hurt you."]  
  
Slowly Ranma's fear began to shrink as the bug continued to reassure him that there was nothing dangerous about the black flames that surrounded him. After a few moments, Ranma had finally calmed down enough for the bug to explain the reason for it's earlier statements.  
  
["Now I'm not exactly sure of why, but it seems that when I tried to heal you, the energy I used affected you in a way I was not expecting."] thought the bug.  
  
Curious, Ranma crossed his legs and paid close attention to what the bug was saying, well thinking more than saying. He'd been afraid he be hurt by the flames around his body if they continued to burn. But the small creature had assured him that it would not harm him. Now that he thought about it, he didn't feel any pain from the flames.   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Ranma.  
  
Thinking for a moment, the bug replied, ["Hrm...Let me see if I can put this into terms you can understand. You see, the world we all live in is made up of two primary parts. The main part is called Order. Now this is what all living creatures with the exception of one are part of. It provides them with energy to simply exist."]  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "Neat, what about the other part?"  
  
Seeing that the boy was following along, the bug continued, ["The other part that makes up existence is called Chaos. It is what I and other system bugs are part of.   
It's very unpredictable and can do things that can bend or even break the laws of physics."]  
  
"What's physics?" asked Ranma.  
  
["Think of it as a set of rules that cannot be broken. With chaos, it becomes possible to bend and break those rules."] thought the bug.  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "Ok, so what happened then?"  
  
Sighing, the bug thought, ["Well, from what I can guess, it would seem that the chaotic energy affected you in a way it shouldn't have. Now don't get me wrong, it won't harm you or anything like that. It'll just take some getting used to."]  
  
A little worried, Ranma asked, "What did it to do me?"  
  
["Remember when I told you earlier that there was only one living being that was a part of Chaos?"] thought the bug.  
  
Nodding, Ranma waited for the creature to finish.  
  
["Well, from what I can now tell, there are now two. Congratulations, you're now a being of Chaos."] thought the bug.  
  
Unsure of what this new revelation meant, Ranma did what any child would do at the thought of achieving something nobody else had and being congratulated for it.   
  
He said, "Neat."  
  
Sighing, the bug knew that he was too young to fully understand what had really happened. It had tried to put it into as simple of terms as possible and for the most part the child did understand. The bug was still unsure as to how it had happened. The only way it could think of was that Kami-sama had done something that had affected the child and allowed the power of Chaos to change the boy. Probably modified his file or something. It knew that the initial cries of pain were what should have happened. Chaos and order did not mix very well together.  
  
Most beings of order possessed the tiniest spark of chaos. It was there to bring balance and keep things interesting in a cosmic sense. In some the spark was stronger but still so minor that it was barely worth paying attention to.   
  
Chuckling to itself, it figured the child probably thought he had been praised for accomplishing something. Shrugging, it decided to get to know the child better. Now that the child was a being of Chaos, the responsibility of teaching him to harness those energies fell to her. If she didn't, then things could get very messy in the near future.  
  
["So tell me about yourself. I'm afraid with all that has happened, we haven't had time to introduce ourselves. My name is Rhea."] thought the bug.  
  
Smiling, Ranma said with pride, "My name's Ranma and my poppa is teaching me to be a martial artist!"   
  
Raising an eyebrow, Rhea thought, ["A martial artist eh? How does your martial art work?"]  
  
Thinking a moment, Ranma said, "Well poppa said that our style combines other styles so that it's unpredictable and adaptable."  
  
["Well then I think this will be very beneficial to you. You see, as a being of Chaos, unpredictability will become second nature to you. You might even be able to create your own style of martial arts based on it."] thought the bug.   
  
His eyes widening, Ranma replied, "Really? That would be so neat!"  
  
Nodding, Rhea sighed as at least something worked out in her favor from this mess. Looking up at Ranma, she smiled to herself. She liked this child. His innocence, the joy he showed when finding out something new. If her guess was correct, he was quite intelligent. The only thing it seemed he lacked was a proper education. Well proper at least by human standards.   
  
Thinking about it, she decided to try to educate him as much as possible. Since she would be traveling with him, it would help him to understand his new power and be able to know how to utilize it in the way he wanted.  
  
Glancing at his face, she saw that he seemed to want to ask something but was unsure of how to ask it. Deciding to help him out, she asked, ["What is it?"]  
  
A little nervous, Ranma shyly asked, "Um...I was just wondering if I could...Um...Well could I pet you? Please?"  
  
Blinking a moment, she smiled to herself and shook her head slightly at the boy's nervousness. True she had never been petted before in her life. And true the boy probably viewed her as some kind of animal. However his nervousness probably stemmed from the fact she was intelligent and able to communicate with him. It was like asking to pet another human.  
  
Hopping into his lap, she folded her legs under her body and made herself comfortable. Looking up at Ranma, she thought, ["Yes you may. Just be gentle. I've never been petted before."]  
  
Smiling, Ranma nodded. Lowering his hand, he gently began to stroke the small creature's fur. It was soft to the touch. It would be like velvet if he knew what that felt like.  
  
At first she was unsure about the boy's request, but now that he was doing it, she loved the sensations it was giving her. It shocked her slightly that a soft purring sound began to emanate from deep within her throat. Oh yes, she definitely loved this. Perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. If nothing else, at least she made a very nice friend. That thought made her happy. She'd never had a friend before. From what she knew, she was the only one of her kind. Or at least of her class.  
  
Ranma smiled as he felt her fur. It was softer than anything he'd felt before. When she started to purr, his smile widened even more. She was such a curious creature. Very smart from what he could tell yet also very kind. She tried to explain things to him so he'd understand them. He hoped she'd be able to come along with him. He didn't want to lose his new friend.  
  
"Um Rhea?" asked Ranma.  
  
Looking up, Rhea replied, ["Yes Ranma?"]  
  
"Um...I was wondering if it was possible for you to come with me and my poppa when we leave." said Ranma.  
  
Smiling as only a bug can, she said mentally, ["That's my poppa and I. And I would like that very much Ranma. I was planning on it anyway since I need to train you to harness your new power."]  
  
Frowning slightly, Ranma said, "I just hope poppa let's you come."  
  
["I wouldn't worry about that too much Ranma. You see, beings of order cannot see system bugs without special equipment. So he won't be able to see me. It would probably be best if you didn't tell him about me. At least not for now. He more than likely will not understand."] thought Rhea.  
  
"I don't wanna lie to my poppa." said Ranma.  
  
Sighing, Rhea decided she had to do something she didn't want to do till later, ["Ranma, you said you were being trained to be a martial artist. Right?"]  
  
Nodding, Ranma smiled, "Yep, the best!"  
  
Smiling, Rhea continued, ["And this pit is part of that training, right?"]  
  
His smiled dropping, Ranma replied with a slight sniffle, "Yeah. Poppa said the cats would teach me a technique called the Neko-ken. But it really hurt."  
  
["I'm sure it did. You see, this is not the proper way to learn the technique."] thought Rhea.  
  
"It isn't? But poppa said." said Ranma.  
  
Shaking her head, Rhea thought, ["The Neko-ken is indeed a powerful technique. However there are only two people that are qualified to teach it. And your father is not one of them. The way he was trying to teach you was the wrong way and was very dangerous. You could have died because of it."]  
  
His lip quivering, a few tears falling down his face, Ranma said, "Died? But I thought poppa loved me? Why would he want to hurt me?"  
  
["Shh...It's alright Ranma. I'm sorry I had to tell you that. I'm sure he does love you but was greedy enough to think the technique was worth the pain you were put through. Don't worry, I'll make sure that it won't happen again. I won't allow him to put you into any more life threatening situations because of some martial arts technique."] thought Rhea.  
  
Sniffling, Ranma hugged Rhea. "Thank You Rhea."  
  
["Your welcome. Now come on, let's see about getting out of this pit. Afterwards, we'll see about making sure you're father doesn't try this technique again."] thought Rhea.  
  
Nodding, Ranma looked around for some way out. Seeing none, he looked down at his new friend. "I don't see any way out." he said.  
  
Thinking a moment, Rhea hit upon an idea with a dual purpose. ["I think I know a way out. And a way for you to begin learning about your new power. First, I'll get rid of the trap door. Then I'll instruct you on what to do next."]  
  
Nodding, Ranma watched as a black glow surrounded his friend. The black flames coalesced into a small ball of black energy. As soon as the ball formed, it took off toward the trap door. Following it's trajectory, Ranma was amazed as the door simply disappeared.  
  
"Wow!" said an excited Ranma.  
  
Smiling, Rhea thought, ["That was only a small sample of what you'll be able to do once you're trained. Now for your first lesson. I want you to concentrate and draw in the black flames surrounding you. Once you do it the first time, they should stay out of sight until you consciously want them to appear. They should react to your thoughts so it shouldn't be too hard.  
  
Nodding, Ranma closed his eyes and concentrated. At first nothing happened and Rhea wondered if he'd be able to do it. Just as she was about to say some words of encouragement, the flames began to slowly disappear. Once they were all gone, Ranma opened his eyes. Looking down at his arm, he smiled as he was able to do it.  
  
["Very good Ranma. It would seem that I was not wrong in my assessment of your abilities. Now I want you to concentrate on that energy and send some to your legs. Then I want you to try and jump out of the pit. Try to keep your eyes open and the energy from becoming visible."] thought Rhea  
  
Smiling at the praise, Ranma nodded concentrated once more on the chaotic energies within his body. Feeling the power, he tried to send a small portion into his legs. The energy filled his legs with strength and no flames appeared. Squatting down, Ranma jumped as hard as he could. However he had put a little too much energy into it and cleared the pit opening with several feet to spare. His martial arts training kicking in, he was able to fall to the ground without sustaining any injuries.  
  
Nodding to herself, Rhea smiled. Her friend would be able to learn quite easily. She just had to make sure to teach him the finer points of subtlety when using smaller amounts of power. At least his power was fairly weak right now and would grow slowly at first over the following years as he grew more accustomed to it and used it more.   
  
Standing up, Ranma walked over to the small camp he and his father were staying at. As he walked, he talked with his new friend some more.  
  
"Rhea? Would it be possible for me to learn the Neko-ken? The right way I mean." asked Ranma.  
  
Thinking a moment, Rhea responded, ["I don't know. More than likely not as the two people who are qualified to teach it are goddesses. Don't worry about it for now Ranma. I'm sure there are other techniques that are just as good to learn."]  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "Ok. I just was wondering."  
  
Curious, Rhea thought, ["How did you father learn of the Neko-ken?"]  
  
Arriving at the camp he and his father were staying at, Ranma responded, "He found it in an old book he found at a chinese shop."  
  
["Can you show me this book?"] responded Rhea.  
  
Nodding, Ranma went over to his fathers pack and pulled out a weathered manual. On the cover it said, 'The legendary Neko-Ken'.  
  
Sitting down, Ranma positioned Rhea on his lap so that she could read it along with him. As he went through it, he became slightly angry that his father had gone through with it even after reading what might happen to the student during the training. However the last page was a real eye opener. The one that stated the technique had been banned and that only a fool would ever think of teaching it since it could result in the death or permanent insanity of the trainee.   
  
Rhea helped to explain the parts he couldn't understand. Thanking her for her help he leaned back against his own pack to wait for his father to return. He wanted to show his father what he found in the manual.   
  
Before the pit he'd trusted his father completely. Now...well he no longer completely trusted his father. Rhea helped to ease his mind about the man but the bonds of trust had been broken and would probably never be fully repaired. Despite the pit, he still did love the man and would stay with him. Besides, with Rhea there, he felt that his father wouldn't be able to do anything like the pit to him again.  
  
As the two talked while waiting for Genma's return, Ranma agreed with Rhea that despite being an idiot, Genma was his father and that he should continue to stay with the man, just not fully trust his judgment anymore. She also informed him that they would have to fool his father so he wouldn't ask too many questions about what had happened since the cats were gone and Ranma was outside of the pit.  
  
Overhead, a flock of birds flew toward the nearby city. It was mid-afternoon and the events in the pit had tired both Ranma and his new friend Rhea. Closing their eyes, the two dozed off. Their thoughts of each other and what the future may bring.  
  
*******************  
  
Up in Asgard...  
  
Kami-sama was again watching events in the pit. He frowned as the boy learned why his father caused him pain. He smiled as a friendship was forged. He also thought about something the child had said. That he wondered if there was a way for him to learn the neko-ken. The proper version at least.   
  
Stroking his beard, Kami-sama pondered the child's words. Perhaps there was something he could do for the boy. Some way to help the boy learn more about the martial arts. Not just the neko-ken, but other styles as well.  
  
It was true that it would help with what would come in the future. Leaning back, Kami-sama pondered on the subject while he stroked the fur of his friend. It was something to consider. For now though, he'd just watch and see what happened.  
  
In his lap, Ramsus just rolled his eyes at his friend. To think, the words of a child could make the all mighty ponder. Such was the heaven they lived in.  
  
*******************  
  
Back on Midgard, not too far away from the pit...  
  
Genma smiled to himself as thoughts of sake floated through his head. While his son was in the pit, he'd decided to head into town and steal...err...borrow several bottles of high quality sake to celebrate his son learning the dreaded Neko-ken.   
  
Readjusting the several bottles he carried, Genma resumed his journey back to the campsite where he and his son were staying. As soon as he returned, he'd checkup on Ranma's progress. He was worried that Ranma might not have learned it. If that was the case, then he'd just repeat it until his son mastered it. That's all there was to it.  
  
Nodding to himself at his ingenuity, Genma approached the small campsite. Frowning, he spied his son leaning against the smaller of the two backpacks. Looking over the child's body, Genma could find no trace of his son ever being in the pit other than some dirt stains and fairly large amount of dried blood on the small gi that adorned his body.  
  
Thinking back, he recalled that the gi his son was wearing did not have anywhere near the amount of blood on it that was there now. Something was up, however he did not know what exactly it was. Deciding to let his son sleep for now, Genma set the bottles of sake he was carrying down and rummaged through his pack for a flashlight. Finding it quickly, Genma headed toward the pit.   
  
The answer to his question would have to be there. He knew the pit was too deep for his son to get out of. That was what the manual had told him to do. Make it escape proof for the trainee.  
  
Arriving at the pit, Genma frowned once more. Looking closely at the place where the trap door had been, all he could see were half of the hinges. Glancing around the area, he could find no trace of the door. Turning his attention back to the pit, Genma clicked on the flashlight he held. Kneeling down, Genma peered into the pit, his flashlight illuminating it for him to see.   
  
Now he knew something was wrong. There was no trace of the cats. No bodies, no hairballs, no urine, not even a whisker. All that he could see was a spot on the floor that appeared to be red from blood. Unbeknownst to Genma, when Rhea had removed the cats, she had also removed everything else from the pit except for herself and Ranma, including his blood. She didn't know where exactly everything went to. She had just trusted the energies of Chaos to send it wherever was appropriate.   
  
Standing back up, Genma headed back to the campsite. There was only one way he'd find the answer to what happened. And that was from his son. At least he hoped so. There was just something about all this that felt odd. Almost like an old memory.  
  
Arriving in camp, Genma found that his son had awoken and was looking through a aged book. Looking closer, he could see it was the Neko-ken manual. Shrugging to himself, Genma approached Ranma.  
  
"Ranma?" said Genma.  
  
Looking up from the book, Ranma smiled and said, "Yeah?"  
  
Frowning slightly, Genma said, "What happened while I was away? Where are all the cats?"  
  
His smile dropping, Ranma replied, "I don't know. I remember jumping into the dark and then...It hurt poppa. The kitties hurt me. I closed my eyes and I think I fell asleep. Then I woke up just now and the kitties were all gone and I didn't hurt anymore."  
  
"Is there anything else you can tell me son?" asked Genma.  
  
Thinking a moment, Ranma shook his head. "Uh-uh" he said.  
  
Sighing, Genma continued to wonder what had happened. He was broken out of his thoughts by a tug on his gi. Looking down, he saw his son holding the Neko-Ken manual and pointing to the last page.   
  
Kneeling down, Genma asked, "What is it?"  
  
Pointing to the page, Ranma asked, "What's this say poppa?"  
  
Taking the book, Genma began reading the indicated page to himself. Unknown to him, Ranma had already read it with the help of Rhea. However as a part of their ruse, he needed to have his father read it. Rhea had speculated that Genma had not read the last page and therefore had gone through with the training. Not knowing that it had been banned and there were major risks associated with the training.  
  
Nearby, Rhea watched as Genma read the page that Ranma had shown him. Judging by his expression, she nodded to herself. She had been right. He had not read it. Hopefully, now that he had read the warnings, he would think twice about continuing on with the training. Fortunately, it appeared that Genma had bought the ruse she and Ranma had come up with when Genma had gone to inspect the pit. She had no idea what they would do if he further questioned her friend.  
  
Paling a bit after reading the page, Genma said, "It's nothing son. Just some stuff about the training."  
  
"Like what?" asked Ranma.  
  
Closing the manual, Genma replied, "Just something I didn't know. Now come on. We're gonna break camp and continue on our journey."  
  
Watching as his father stood up, Ranma asked, "What about the Neko-ken poppa?"  
  
Stuffing the manual in his pack, Genma said, "Forget about the Neko-ken Ranma. It wasn't what I thought it was. Now pack up. I'm gonna head into the woods for a little while to take care of some business."  
  
Nodding, Ranma sighed to himself. His and Rhea's plan had worked. Now Genma wouldn't try to continue the training. Turning, Ranma began to pack his stuff into his own backpack.   
  
Next to him, Rhea watched as Genma headed into the woods carrying several bottles. Shrugging to herself, she turned her attention back to Ranma. While Genma was gone, she could talk with him some more. Thinking a moment, she wondered if Ranma could learn to communicate telepathically like she could with him. If her guess was right, she'd inadvertently created a bond between them. It certainly was something to consider. It would make it easier for them to talk without having to worry about others. Filing it away for later, she hopped up next to him. She wanted to make good use of the time they were alone.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile, in the woods...  
  
Sighing, Genma opened one of the bottles of sake he had brought back from town. He really needed a drink after reading that last page in the manual. Coupled with the odd happenings with his son and that pit had left him a bit on edge.   
  
Taking a big swig, Genma's tongue was met with an odd taste. One he could only guess correctly as to the source since he had smelt it just earlier that day. Spewing out the foul liquid from his mouth, he slowly poured out the bottle of liquid onto the ground. Looking closely, he could see bits of hair and feces covered in what smelled like cat urine and sake.  
  
Looking closely at the other bottles, he could see that they were completely sealed. Opening one, he took a good sniff. Finding the same smell as came from the first one, he tossed it away. He continued until he got to the last bottle. Slowly opening it, he sniffed it a couple times. Finding no urine smell, Genma smiled and began to drink, swishing the first mouthful around to help get rid of the foul taste left from the first bottle he had tried.   
  
"Finally, a good bottle." he said while pondering what kind of people made the previous bottles he had tossed away.   
  
Upon finishing, he tossed the bottle away and began to return to camp. He had decided to break camp and wanted to get going before any more strange things happened. For some reason, he kept getting an odd feeling when he was near that pit. Oddly enough, it reminded him a little too much of the dreaded master he and his old training partner had studied under. Like something not of this world had touched it.  
  
*******************  
  
A few minutes earlier, back at the camp...  
  
Finished with packing up his stuff, Ranma had sat down to talk with his new friend for a bit while his father was away in the woods. Rhea had congratulated him on successfully managing to keep his father from resuming the Neko-ken training. He smiled at the compliment before picking Rhea up and petting her while she rested in his lap.  
  
Enjoying the sensations, Rhea tried to teach her friend the fundamentals of telepathic communication. She knew it would take a while even though Ranma was very smart. That was why she wanted to get started on it as early as possible. She wanted to be able to have conversations with him while avoiding the problems that could arise if someone saw Ranma talking to thin air.  
  
Ranma for the most part was able to grasp much of what Rhea was talking about. Mainly due to the fact that she put it into terms he could easily understand. He understood the need to learn this new skill too. Rhea had said that people would not be able to see her and that if they saw him talking to thin air, they would stay away from him and not be his friends. Being lonely quite a bit before Rhea had shown up, Ranma could appreciate the need for friends.  
  
["Now close your eyes and concentrate like I told you to. Clear your mind and picture what you want to say to me. Don't worry if you don't get it at first. It'll most likely be difficult the first several times you do it but as time goes on it will become easier. Once you picture it in your mind, will it toward me. If it works, I should be able to hear it within my mind."] thought Rhea.  
  
Nodding, Ranma closed his eyes. Clearing his mind, he pictured what he wanted to say to his new friend. As soon as he thought it was ready, he tried to will it toward Rhea.   
  
Opening his eyes, Ranma asked, "Did it work?"  
  
Shaking her head, Rhea responded, ["No it didn't. However do not worry about it. This is a difficult skill to master. It will most likely take you a few tries to be able to send even a single word. Now try again and this time relax. I noticed you were trying to force it to happen before."]  
  
Sighing, Ranma tried once more. He allowed his body to relax as his mind cleared. Similar to meditation, Ranma managed to achieve a calm state of being. The words pictured themselves in his mind easier this time due to his calm state. Softly he willed the words toward Rhea instead of forcing them like he had inadvertently done before.  
  
Coming out of his calm state, Ranma asked once more, "Did it work?"  
  
["You were closer that time. I was able to hear a few sounds that sounded like words. However they were not very clear."] thought Rhea, proud of her friend.   
  
"This is harder than I thought." said Ranma.  
  
Nodding, Rhea replied, ["Don't worry. You'll get it eventually. Now come, your father is returning and we don't want him to see you stroking thin air or speaking to nothing."]  
  
Nodding, Ranma stood up and set Rhea on top of his pack. Hearing some leaves rustle, Ranma turned toward the sound. Stepping into the small clearing, Genma strolled into camp.   
  
Looking around, Genma nodded as his son had packed up much of what needed to be packed. All he had to do was pack up his own stuff and they'd be able to get back on the road.  
  
"Good work boy. Just let me pack my stuff up and we'll be on our way." said Genma.  
  
Nodding, Ranma replied, "Okay poppa."  
  
Moving over to his own pack, Genma began packing away what little stuff he had taken out of it. There wasn't too much since he had not planned on staying in the area very long. Mostly due to the cats which the residents would report missing soon if they had not already done so.  
  
As soon as he was finished, Genma put his pack on. Ranma, seeing that his father was ready to go, put his own pack on, adjusting the straps so he would be more comfortable.  
  
Seeing his boy was ready, Genma began to head out of camp. Behind him, Ranma picked up Rhea since she had jumped off his pack so he could put it on without worrying about her. Setting her on top of his pack, Ranma followed Genma into the woods just outside of their campsite.  
  
On top of Ranma's pack, Rhea made herself more comfortable. She knew their trip would not take too long since it was still mid-afternoon. However she also wanted to rest some more since Genma had interrupted her and Ranma's nap earlier.  
  
Looking down on Ranma, Rhea thought, ["I'm going to rest a little bit Ranma. I'm still a bit tired from earlier. Wake me when we stop."]  
  
Quietly, Ranma replied, "Okay Rhea."  
  
Turning his head back, Genma said, "You say something boy?"  
  
"No poppa." said Ranma,   
  
Shrugging, Genma turned his attention back to the forest in front of him. Glancing at the sun, Genma nodded to himself. They would be able to cover enough distance to be able to get comfortably away from their previous campsite.  
  
Behind him, Ranma nodded to himself. He needed to learn to talk to Rhea so others couldn't hear him. Especially since his father was going to be around alot. Since Rhea was resting, he decided he'd try again that night. Like Rhea had said, it would take practice to do it easily.  
  
Readjusting a strap, Ranma sped up a little to catch up with Genma. He didn't know how far they would travel before setting up camp again, but he was glad that he had at least made a new friend before leaving. One that would stay with him during his trip.  
  
On top of Ranma's pack, Rhea slept and dreamed of things that only system bugs dream about. And within her dream, her new friend was there with her. They were together and nothing would separate them. She smiled to herself in her sleep. She was happier than she'd ever been before in her long life. And it was only just beginning.  
  
To be continued...  
  
*******************  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
What lies in the future as Ranma learns about the power of Chaos? Will Genma ever learn about Rhea? What threat to creation does Kami-sama allude to? Will Ranma learn the true Neko-ken? And how will growing up with a System Bug affect Ranma? All this and more in the next exciting chapter of: Ah! My System Bug!  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2 New! Feb 14th 2004

****************  
-- Ah! My System Bug --  
********************  
  
--Chapter 2--  
  
By: Gekigengar3  


  
  
Disclaimer: All characters, and such are the copyrights and property of their respective owners. I claim no ownership of any character and such in any way.  
  
"" = Spoken words  
** = Thoughts  
[] = Mental Communication  
  
Rain. Tiny droplets of falling water. Most times it's harmless. While other times it can cause massive amounts of damage. Many people don't think about the rain. For them, it's just there. But for others, they like to watch the rain and let the gentle sounds of droplets falling soothe them of any stress they had within their bodies. Every person had a different opinion about rain. Whether good or bad.   
  
On this particular rainy day for instance, there was one person that stared up into the cloudy sky and growled angrily, trying futily to threaten the clouds in the heavens above to stop leaking.   
  
Trudging along in the sudden shower, two travelers could be seen making their way to some unknown destination. Both wore large travel packs that appeared to be well used.   
  
The leader was wrapped from head to toe in protective rain gear. No part of their body was exposed to the falling droplets of water. An umbrella, decorated with cute pandas was being held to offer more protection from the innocent bits of moisture that descended from the sky.   
  
The other traveler, a young man with a pigtail, walked calmly behind the leader without a care in the world about being soaked. He simply enjoyed the sensations of falling water hitting him.  
  
The leader grumbled some more about the sudden storm before checking the streets to make sure he was heading in the correct direction. Nodding as he verified he and his son were going the right way, Genma Saotome and all around poster child for hydrophobia continued leading the way to his old friend's place. However right then, visiting his friend and getting his boy engaged were not what he was thinking about most. No, right then, he was cursing the weather.  
  
If there was one thing Genma hated right then more than anything else, it was rain. He and his son had just arrived in Tokyo and of course, ever since he got cursed at that training ground in China, it began to rain unexpectedly. How he loathed the rain since that day. He still didn't like to think about it nor what happened when he got wet. It was something so horrible to him that it made his days training with 'The Master' seem like a walk in the park. Banishing that thought lest he summon the most concentrated source of evil in all Japan, Genma sighed and continued onward.  
  
Behind Genma, Ranma followed along quietly as he and his father made their way through town. He was dripping wet, but he didn't mind. He loved the rain. The feeling of gentle droplets of water as they cascaded down upon his body. That special smell that came about during the moist weather. The absolutely absurd things his father did to keep dry. Yes, Ranma was laughing at the antics of his father. He had been as soon as he'd seen what Jusenkyo had done to the older man. He tried to warn his father when they first approached the place, but his old man had a bad habit of not listening to him or others. Suddenly sneezing, Ranma wondered briefly if someone was thinking of him right then before returning to his prior thoughts.  
  
Meanwhile, inside Ranma's pack, trying to keep dry and recovering from her own sudden sneeze, Rhea smirked as she picked up some of Ranma's stray thoughts. She'd been with the two since that whole Neko-ken incident where she had first met Ranma, healed his injuries, and accidentally turned him into a being of chaos. The two had become fast friends and ever since then, they had been almost inseparable, often having lengthy discussions about various topics. Ranging from the differences between order and chaos to the many ways cheese whiz could be used to overthrow the world. Of course, some of the things they talked about were hypothetical and never put into actual practice.   
  
Even though she was a being of chaos, it still amazed her sometimes at the learning curve of her friend. Although, part of that probably did come from their chaotic life. One had to be able to adapt quickly and learn at a phenomenal rate in order to handle being a chaotic being. She often times wondered if Genma would ever figure out why astronomically impossible things always happened when she and Ranma were near him. Like that time he was practically mauled when he accidentally walked into a weight loss center eating a triple chocolate ice cream bar he had swiped from a nearby market. Ranma had been nearby wondering why his father was going into a place to lose weight. She too had wondered the same thing until she remembered that she and Ranma had let their aura's of chaos out a little earlier that day to relieve some of the tension they felt because of holding those energies in check for so long. Shaking her head, she still chuckled at that memory.  
  
Since they had been together for quite a while, they had worked toward deepening the bond they shared. Nowadays, the two could not only communicate telepathically, but share thoughts as well such as images, sounds, and memories. Their control was pretty good with sharing thoughts, but sometimes a stray thought or two would be sent, especially when one or the other was distracted. Just then, Rhea picked up a stray thought from Ranma. It dealt with his father and his antics since Jusenkyo. Chuckling, Rhea remembered what had taken place there.   
  
***_Flashback_***  
  
Mainland China, Two months prior...  
  
Deep within the wilderness of China, a trio of travelers were making their way across the land. In the lead, a fat, balding man in a martial arts gi. Behind him, a young man in fine chinese silk with a pigtail. Atop his pack rested an unusual creature known as a System Bug.  
  
The trio of travelers were on their way to a special place to train in their martial arts. The spot was not easy to get to and required long periods of hiking to reach. However only one of the group knew where they were heading. And he was being very quiet about it for some reason. Whether it was because of some hidden knowledge about the place or because he was a little lost and didn't want to admit it, nobody except him knew.  
  
Several hours passed as the forest gradually thinned. Soon they began to close in on their destination. As the forest continued to thin out, a feeling of 'something' began to manifest in the air around the travelers. Only two of the travelers felt it. The third one and obviously the leader didn't seem to detect anything. As the trio continued forward, that feeling in the air grew stronger and stronger. Finally, one of the travelers decided to ask one of the others about it.  
  
["Hey Rhea. Do you feel that?"] asked Ranma, sensing something in the air.  
  
Concentrating a little, Rhea nodded, ["Yes I do. There seems to be a powerful source of Chaos nearby."]  
  
Thinking a moment, Ranma responded, ["You don't think it's coming from wherever pops is taking us, do you?"]  
  
["More than likely. He does seem to have a knack for finding dangerous places to train at."] responded Rhea while thinking of some of the more 'esoteric' places Genma had dragged them. She still wondered at times how he had found out about some that were considered mere myth by modern societies.  
  
While the two conversed about what they sensed, Genma continued walking forward to the place described in the brochure he had found. The brochure wasn't anything special but with what limited Chinese he knew, he'd been able to make out the words 'Training Ground' and 'Dangerous'. Three words he always looked for together.  
  
He just knew this place would be perfect to train the boy at. It was supposed to be dangerous and what better way to give his son a challenge. Of course this had nothing to do with the fact that Ranma could kick his ass without trying. Nor the fact that the boy seemed as hard to damage as the, *shudder*, master.   
  
There was a thought. The boy didn't come out as he had hoped. Every day the feeling he was near the master was growing. Only this was more pure instead of the perverted feeling of his former sensei. He knew it had something to do with that blasted Neko-ken training . But what, he didn't know. He just knew that ever since that day, something hadn't been right. It wasn't something he could explain. It was just a feeling.   
  
Then there were the boy's skills. They had surpassed his own a few years prior. He was at a loss to explain it. Only that sometimes his boy would disappear without a trace, only to reappear later, stronger than ever. And some of those techniques he used. Genma knew he never taught his son any of them. He could only figure that either his son created them or had learnt them from somewhere. He was proud of his boy in a way. He just wished he knew how his son had gotten so skilled.  
  
*******************  
  
Up in Asgard...  
  
Several powerful deities sneezed rather violently while down in Nephilhiem, a handful of demons farted.  
  
*******************  
  
Back on Midgard...  
  
Before his thoughts could continue farther, the forest opened up to reveal a flat basin, devoid of much plant life. And there, in front of him, about a quarter mile away was the place mentioned in the brochure he had acquired. A place full of carefully sign posted danger. With warnings all over any brochure in a language he could barely comprehend. A place called, Jusenkyo.  
  
As Ranma exited the dense forest to stand by his father, he knew immediately where the chaos he sensed was coming from. Rhea too gazed across the flat basin to the source of the chaotic waves of energy.   
  
Before more could be said between Ranma and Rhea, Genma began hiking once more. Their destination was still a ways off and he wanted to get there soon so he and his son could train a bit before setting up camp. Following him, Ranma continued talking with Rhea about the place they were approaching. They knew it wouldn't take too long. And as they drew closer to the place in the distance, the chaotic waves continued to grow stronger.  
  
*******************  
  
An hour later...  
  
Arriving at the legendary training ground, Genma shrugged off his pack and began stretching his muscles for the coming fight. He'd been skeptical when he first saw the place in the distance. It didn't look anywhere near as dangerous as the pictures in the brochure led him to believe. However, now that he was at the training ground in person, he revised his earlier assumption. The place didn't seem dangerous at all. It just looked like a place to practice balancing. Still, a training ground was a training ground. Even if it didn't look dangerous.  
  
While Genma took a few minutes to prepare for the coming fight, Ranma and Rhea had other things on their minds as they gazed upon the training ground known as Jusenkyo. They saw the pools of course. Along with the tall bamboo poles sticking out of many of them. But that wasn't what they were looking at. No, what they were looking at were the hundreds of System Bugs dancing around the many pools.   
  
Thinking they were seeing things, both blinked several times. Gazing back at the pools, they saw the same thing. All the bugs were dancing. Not hopping around, but actually dancing. Each recognized several dances being performed. Including one that they had to blink again at. Near one of the pools in the center, a couple dozen bugs were doing the Macarena. A dance they recognized from some American television show they'd seen a several months back.  
  
Sweeping his sight across the many pools, Ranma asked, ["Hey Rhea, do System Bugs normally act like this?"]  
  
["No they don't. In fact, this is the first time I've ever seen any of them doing anything like this. But I think I have a hunch on why."] responded Rhea.  
  
["What is it?"] asked Ranma.  
  
Thinking a moment, Rhea responded, ["I think they were attracted by the high level of chaotic energies that surround the area."]  
  
Curious, Ranma asked, ["But why would it be this strong?"]  
  
["Give me a second Ranma. I'm going to try to find that out for myself"] replied Rhea.  
  
Closing her eyes, Rhea reached out with her senses. Probing the area around them for any signs of what could cause the area to be saturated with so much chaotic energy. It took only a few seconds for her to find the reason.   
  
Opening her eyes, Rhea said, ["I found it. There's a ancient artifact buried deep underground near the source of these springs. It seems to be a storage and focusing device. Probably to amplify and store the natural chaos in the area."]  
  
["Wonder who put it there. Or for that matter who would even want to do that. They wouldn't be able to use the energy."] said Ranma absently.  
  
["Offhand, I'd probably say some Chaos Mages."] said Rhea.  
  
Curious, Ranma asked, ["Chaos Mages? What are those?"]  
  
Glancing over at Genma a moment, Rhea made sure he was still occupied with his stretching before she began to answer her friend's question. She'd been around a very long time. As such she'd learnt many things over the years. Including some stuff that had been lost to human history.   
  
["Chaos Mages are just what their name implies. They are people that use chaos to perform magic. They would tap into natural chaos producing areas and empower themselves with the energies they gathered there. However there was a problem with doing this. You see, these mages were beings of order. And you how well order and chaos mix."] said Rhea.  
  
Nodding, Ranma urged her to continue before his father was done getting ready. He knew it was taking his father longer than normal to prepare himself. But he also knew that his old man had taken a thorough beating just the other day when they had done some sparring.  
  
Continuing on, Rhea said, ["Those mages didn't live for very long because they were beings of order. By trying to harness the power of chaos, they were corrupted by the power since it was incompatible with them. This lead to a condition known as Chaos Poisoning. Basically it was like overdosing on a drug for them. Their bodies could not handle it and began shutting down or developing problems which later lead to their demise."]  
  
["So why'd they use it if they knew they would die from it?"] asked Ranma.  
  
Sighing, Rhea said, ["They used it because it was arguably one of the more powerful magic's of the time. Most chaos mages also had a screw loose as well. Fortunately it's a art that's been lost to time and all that remains of their existence are things like this place."]  
  
["So what do we do about pops? I know he's going to want to use this place."] said Ranma.  
  
["I haven't a clue Ranma. You know how well he listens to you. There's no telling how this place will affect him. You shouldn't have any problems since you are a being of chaos. This place shouldn't have any effect on you at all."] said Rhea.  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, ["That's good to know. Now if only I can convince pops this isn't a place he want's to train at."]  
  
["Good luck"] stated Rhea.  
  
Before their conversation could continue, Genma had finally finished warming up. Turning toward his boy, he began to frown. Here he was warming up and getting ready to spar, and his son hadn't even taken his own backpack off yet.  
  
"Get ready Ranma! It's time to train!" said Genma loudly.  
  
Sighing, Ranma shrugged off his pack, making sure he didn't knock Rhea off in the process. Setting it down, Ranma did some minor stretching before approaching the springs.  
  
Before he could speak, his father jumped up onto one of the many poles. Following him, Ranma tried to get him to stop since he knew the chaos of the place would harm the old fool. He knew he was safe, but his father was another story. He might not respect much of what Genma said anymore. But the older man was still his father whom he still loved.  
  
"I don't think this place is what it seems Pop. Maybe we shouldn't train here." said Ranma, in an attempt to save his father from an unknown fate.  
  
Hearing something from his son about the place not being what it seemed, Genma didn't listen even though he could sense something powerful about the place now that he was there and right over it. Of course, his assumption of what it was wasn't correct. He figured it was from the many great martial artists that had trained there in the past, infusing the place with small portions of their Ki. Shrugging off the feeling for the time being, Genma leapt toward his son to begin their match.  
  
Nearby, in a small hut, the guide of Jusenkyo had just finished heating up some water to make tea. Just as he was about to pour some into a small cup, he heard a loud noise from outside. Curious, he poked his head out a nearby window and cast his gaze toward the pools of sorrow. Seeing two people jumping from pole to pole while trading blows, he quickly pulled his head back in before running for the door. It wouldn't do for customers to be cursed before he could tell them about it. Of course nothing ever does go right when Jusenkyo is involved.  
  
Running up to the pools, the guide yelled out, "Oh no sirs! Very bad you fall in spring! Springs is cursed! Take form of what drown in pool!"  
  
The two on the poles were too far away to hear the guide's frantic yells, however Rhea was nearby and heard everything he had said. Reaching out, she told Ranma of what the portly man had been yelling.  
  
Up on the poles, Ranma got Rhea's message and responded his acknowledgment. Now that he knew what the place did to it's visitors, he began to lead his father away from the center area they were sparring over and toward the edge where they would be safer. However before he could lead his father too far, Genma landed on one of the older bamboo poles which couldn't support his weight.  
  
With a loud snap, Genma was dropped into the pool below. As the waters calmed, the pigtailed boy sighed as he had tried to prevent this very thing. He could only hope his father turned into something relatively normal. As he stood there, he couldn't help but notice the conga line of system bugs circling the pool his father had just landed in. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as he reached out and felt the chaotic energies of the place begin to flare.  
  
Before the guide could tell the older customer what spring he fell into, Genma shot out of the pool and landed on a nearby pole, not noticing the change that had overcome him. Seeing his son had his eyes closed and wasn't paying attention, the newly cursed customer used the opening to knock his son into a nearby spring. This time the guide did manage to get to the edge of the pool and state which one the young boy fell into.  
  
"Oh no young sir. You fall in Nyannichuan. Spring of drown girl. Tragic story of girl who drown there 1500 year ago." stated the guide from memory.  
  
Before he could say anymore, the waters parted and the young pigtailed boy emerged from the pool. The guide had expected something, but not what he was looking upon. The young customer that had fallen into the spring of drowned girl wasn't female. Instead, he was the same as he had been before being dunked in the cool waters of Jusenkyo.  
  
"Aiyah!" stated the Guide, surprised the young customer didn't change. He was sure the spring the young boy fell into was the Nyannichuan. Before he could say more, something unexpected began to occur. Quickly he backed away as black lightning began to arc across the young man's body.  
  
Noticing the lightshow, the newly transformed Genma quickly ran and hid behind a nearby boulder, shortly joined by the guide. Something unusual was happening. This was nothing new to either of the two men. The guide lived in an area full of chaotic energies and Genma traveled with a pair of chaotic beings. Both knew to get out of the way when strange things occurred.  
  
Nearby, a worried Rhea watched as her friend was affected by the chaos in the area. She had been certain the chaos there should not have affected Ranma at all. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on what was occurring in front of her. Her friend wasn't being affected by the cursed pools, just as she had initially figured. No, in fact it was Ranma who was affecting the pools. All that stored chaos was being absorbed by her friend.  
  
How he was doing it, she didn't know offhand. She just knew that there was nothing she could do until it was finished. Something else she noticed right away was that the ancient artifact was beginning to lose power and would soon destroy itself. Which was a good thing in her opinion. Those artifacts always meant trouble for beings of order.   
  
Several minutes passed before the arcs of black lightning finally began to ebb as the power behind them started to weaken. Several moments later, the last of the arcs dissipated. The concentrated chaotic energies had finally given out. The artifact had been destroyed and the accursed pools began to return to what they originally were long ago. Just simple fresh water springs to drink from and train over.   
  
With the power behind the cursed springs gone, the curses that had afflicted the many visitors over the years would begin to weaken. Eventually all the cursed individuals would lose their curses. That was unless they happened to live in an area that was strong with chaotic energies or were exposed to chaotic beings. Those that lived in those places would take longer to lose their curses. The only ones that would not were the people or animals with permanent curses. Those would remain until their last dying breath.  
  
As the lighting stopped, Genma and the guide cautiously poked their heads up from behind the large rock to see if everything was alright. Both noted the form of Genma's son as he lay upon the bank of one of the pools. The lightning was now gone and everything looked normal. However Genma's senses told another story. His son felt different to his senses. It wasn't something easy to explain, only that there was something even more similar to his ancient master than before they had come to this accused place. Only this feeling was much more powerful and wasn't tainted like his old master. For some reason, he had an urge to perform the Crouch of the White Tiger technique.  
  
Over near Ranma, Rhea hopped up to him and nudged him a few times in an attempt to wake him up. She was greatly concerned about her friend and wanted to make sure he wasn't hurt from absorbing all the chaos in that artifact.  
  
Slowly, Ranma opened his eyes as he felt someone nudging the side of his face. The bright light hurt his eyes at first, causing him to close them once more. Further attempts met with success as he blinked his eyes a few times to get used to the light once more.   
  
Pushing himself up, Ranma sat on his knees for a moment to regain his bearings. The last thing he remembered was falling into one of the pools after his father got a lucky hit in. Turning his head, he saw Rhea looking at him. Concern etched on her features. Smiling, he assured her he was alright.  
  
["What happened?"] he asked tiredly, his body sore.  
  
["The nearest I can figure, when you fell into that pool, all the power that was in that ancient artifact began to be absorbed by you. After it was drained dry, it destroyed itself, returning the pools to normal."] said Rhea.  
  
Before she could say more, she noticed something new. Looking closely, she examined the circlet upon her friend's brow. Some of the gems were glowing. Specifically the ones they had figured represented the Class One, Two, Three, and Four System Bugs. All four shone brightly while the one representing the Class Five's shown dimly.  
  
Over the years, Rhea had often wondered about the unusual design of Ranma's circlet. Instead of a single gem like hers or other system bugs, Ranma's had six gems. They had discussed it at length a few times and had surmised that the five smaller gems represented the five classes of system bugs while the sixth had represented something greater. Perhaps himself or a combination of all five classes of bugs. They were still unsure about it to this day.  
  
Right then, the memory had resurfaced and she couldn't help but think about it for a moment. She'd seen the gems shine before. But at that time, only the Class One and Two shone brightly while the Class Three shone dimly. She could only wonder what would happen when all five shone brightly.   
  
While Rhea pondered thoughts of his circlet, Ranma managed to stand up and make his way over toward the large boulder his father and the guide were hiding behind.   
  
Seeing that the event had passed, both Genma and the Guide moved from behind the rock. As Ranma approached them, each wondered what had just transpired. It was the Guide that was the first to speak.  
  
"Is young customer alright?" asked the guide.  
  
Nodding, Ranma replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Whatever that was, it didn't seem to affect me any."  
  
The guide nodded at Ranma's story while Genma, a bit doubtful of his son's explanation, let it slide for the time being. He knew something had happened to his son. He could feel it coming off the boy in waves and it unnerved him. Each time a small surge pulsed, he had to fight the urge to assume the position. The dreaded Crouch of the White Tiger.  
  
Turning to the guide, Genma asked, "Tell me, is there any cure for this place?"  
  
Shaking his head, the Guide replied, "No know any cure Mr. Customer. Just know of hot water which return you to normal. But only till cold water splash you again."  
  
Curious, Ranma said, "What are you talking about pops? You look normal enough to me."  
  
Before Genma could respond, the guide said, "I bring hot water when notice customers on poles. Explain to Mr. Customer while hiding."  
  
Nodding for the time being, Ranma was a little curious as to what his father turned into. Figuring he'd find out eventually, Ranma left and returned to where he had left Rhea earlier.  
  
Meanwhile, Genma talked with the guide for a few moments more. He still thought there might be a cure for this curse he had picked up beyond the hot water like what the guide explained.  
  
"So yer sure there's no cure?" asked Genma once more.  
  
Shaking his head, the Guide replied, "Yes sir. Only know hot water reverses curse. Only people might know if cure exists is Amazon women's"  
  
Sighing, Genma nodded. Getting directions, the newly cursed martial arts master retrieved his pack before getting ready to leave the pools of sorrow. Making sure his son was ready, he began the hike away from the place. He had been tempted to hire the guide to show him the way, but at the last moment decided not to. His curse had gotten to him more than he would admit and he wanted to save what money he had so he could get some gear to keep himself dry.  
  
Normally he would have stolen what he needed, but at the moment he was too depressed and scared to think about doing it. For now, he'd try to keep dry as much as possible. For him, his curse was worse than anything he could have imagined. He'd rather have turned into an animal like a panda or maybe something else than what he did turn into.  
  
Following his father, Ranma conversed with Rhea about the springs some more as well as the power boost Ranma had gained from draining that much concentrated chaotic energies. Rhea figured that the artifact that had been destroyed probably concentrated more on transformational chaotic magic than other types. Mainly due to the fact that Jusenkyo had been a place where transformations occurred regularly. She also figured that her friend might one day be able to control that power and either transform at will or transform others. It'd be a handy trick to have when faced with a powerful enemy.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile, back at Jusenkyo...  
  
The guide wondered if he should have escorted the two recent customers to the Amazon village himself instead of just giving the older one directions. Sure the man hadn't been willing to hire him, but he was curious as to what the Amazon elders might think of what had transpired with the younger one.  
  
Shrugging his shoulders for the time being since he figured he'd find out later, the guide grabbed a nearby bug and approached one of the many pools. The particular pool he was approaching was the pool of drowned Ox. Needing some meat for the coming week, he tossed the bug into the pool and awaited the Ox that would emerge.  
  
A minute passed before he watched as the bug he threw in made it's way to shore and crawled out of the pool. As it scampered off into the wilderness, the guide couldn't help but be shocked. "Aiyah" came from his lips as he wondered how Jusenkyo, Land of Accursed Pools went to Jusenkyo, Land of Normal Springs.  
  
He didn't know, but there was one thing he did know. He'd most likely be getting a visit from some people from the nearby tribes sometime in the future when they came to use the pools. He could only wonder what he was going to tell them.  
  
Returning to his hut, the guide hoped the two customers didn't get into any trouble at the Amazon Village. The annual tournament was going on in another day or so and he might just decide to attend. Not only for the food, but also to talk to the elders.  
  
In the distance, thunder rumbled...  
  
***_End Flashback_***  
  
["Hey Rhea. We're here"] thought Ranma, breaking Rhea out of her thoughts of the past.  
  
Yawning, Rhea though, ["It's about time. It might be dry in here, but it still is quite cramped. I'll be glad to stretch my legs a bit."]  
  
["Sorry about that Rhea. But it's the only way I knew of to keep you dry. I know how much you hate to get wet."] thought Ranma.  
  
["It's alright Ranma. Just let me know when we get out of the rain."] thought Rhea.  
  
Nodding mentally, Ranma replied, ["Alright."]  
  
Ranma followed his father as he pushed open the outer gates to a quaint home nestled snugly into the surrounding neighborhood. Once through, they made their way quickly to the door of the house.  
  
Knocking on the door, Genma impatiently waited for someone to answer. It was still raining and he didn't want to temp fate any more than he already had been. For him, the sooner he got inside and away from the falling droplets of cold water, the better he'd be.  
  
Behind him, Ranma simply waited while glancing around the property. It didn't feel like his home and he wondered why they were there. Shrugging to himself for the time being, he decided just to wait and see what happened.   
  
*******************  
  
Several minutes earlier, Inside the Tendo Home...  
  
The three Tendo girls were just getting over the bombshell their father had just dropped on them. Well two of them were. The third and oldest was currently in the kitchen preparing tea and snacks for when their guest's arrived.  
  
The middle and youngest daughter didn't pay much attention to what their oldest sister was doing. They'd learnt long ago that it was better to just let her do her own thing and not question it.  
  
Right then, the most prominent thought in their minds was about the fact that a friend of their fathers was coming and they were to be engaged to a boy that neither they nor their father had ever met.  
  
The middle daughter, Nabiki, seriously wondered what kind of person this fiancee was. Despite what many might think of her, she was not a money hungry mercenary. She just did what had to be done to keep a roof over their heads and keep food on the table. It wasn't her fault that her practices had somewhat ostracized her from her peers. Nor was it her fault that all the boys were too scared to ask her on a date. Despite the mask she used to hide her feelings from others, she was quite a lonely young woman.  
  
Her younger sister, Akane, on the other hand didn't care about what kind of person this fiancee was. She didn't get along very well with males of her own age. To her, they were a bunch of perverts that wanted nothing more than to get into her panties. She was generally a happy girl. Loved to hang out with her female friends. Do things normal girls do like shop, go to the movies, etc. Deep down she knew that not all males of her own age were like the ones at school. She just wished someone could tell her why the boys at her school constantly hounded her to the exclusion of all others.   
  
*******************  
  
Outside, on their way to the Tendo House...  
  
Ranma and Rhea sneezed.  
  
*******************  
  
Back at the Tendo Home...  
  
In the kitchen, the oldest of the three Tendo daughters hummed happily as she prepared tea and snacks for the coming of the guests her father had said were on their way. The engagement he had mentioned intrigued her. Despite her earlier protests about this prospective fiancee being younger than her, she really was interested in what kind of person he was like. And perhaps, if he might accept her for who she really was.   
  
She knew she didn't relate well with others when she was being herself. It was the reason she usually kept up a mask of serenity when she was in the presence of others. The only people that knew who she really was were her little friends that came by every so often. They were another reason she kept to herself. Nobody else seemed to be able to see her little friends. Which was a shame in her opinion. She thought the rabbit like creatures with eight legs were quite cute.  
  
She was just pulling out some chocolate chip cookies when there came a knock at the door. Taking a couple minutes to set the tray of sweet chocolate confections on the counter and make herself presentable, she left the kitchen on her way to the living room. She knew that Nabiki would probably answer the door. Being very observant, she knew her younger sister was lonely despite the mask she wore.   
  
She wondered if it might be that friend of her father's at the door. More than likely it was, and with that thought in mind, she quickened her pace. She wanted to see what this fiancee looked like.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Nabiki had heard the knock and she hurried to the door so she could get the first look at the boy their father wanted one of them to marry. She already knew that Akane probably wouldn't be interested in getting a fiancee. Nor did she think this fiancee would understand her older sister and her 'special' needs. So she knew that she would probably end up being engaged to him. In which case she wanted to check him out first so that she could decide whether or not to accept it.  
  
Her father, hearing the knock as well, was hot on his middle daughter's heels. It had been a very long time since he had seen his friend. The thought that the person knocking might be Genma, filled him with happiness.   
  
As the two approached the door, Soun's rusty skills couldn't help but pick up on something he hadn't felt in many many years behind the door. The problem was, he couldn't identify it right away. He just knew that something behind the door he was approaching felt 'familiar'.  
  
Arriving at the door first, Nabiki opened it to be met with the sight of a person covered from head to toe in rain gear. She was a bit apprehensive of someone standing in front of her and not being able to see their face. Before she could do anything, her father had arrived behind her.  
  
Looking out the door, Soun said, "Yes? Can I help you?  
  
Tilting his head up, Genma smiled and said, "Don't tell me you don't recognize your old training partner. Can we come in before we greet each other properly? It's quite wet out here you know."  
  
Happiness shone on his face as he said, "Saotome! Yes, please come in out of that rain and dry off."  
  
Stepping in, Genma said, "Thanks."  
  
While Genma began removing his rain gear, extra carefully Nabiki noted, Ranma stepped in behind him. Removing his slippers, Ranma wondered if he could get some towels to dry off. Nabiki on the other hand liked what she saw when Ranma stepped in. Little taller than her, hard muscles outlined under the wet clothing which stuck to his skin, obviously very skilled in martial arts. In her opinion, very good potential as a fiancee. But she wasn't going to accept yet. He might look good, but did he have anything else going for him?  
  
As soon as Soun cast his eyes on Ranma, his senses blared. He was the source of that familiar feeling. Only now that he was closer and there was nothing in between them, that familiar feeling had intensified. Long ingrained subconscious instincts came to the front as he perfectly executed a dreaded technique. The Crouch of the White Tiger.  
  
"We're sorry Master! We didn't mean to seal you in that cave! Or drink your sake! Or burn your panty collection and piss on the ashes after we thought you were dead! We're sorry!" whined Soun.  
  
Confused, Ranma said, "I don't know who this Master is you speak of. But I'm not him."  
  
Genma could only slap his face. He knew what happened and to still be this strong after so long, those ingrained reflexes must've really been deep within his friend. He had them too but since he had been around his son longer, he didn't unconsciously perform that terrifying technique.  
  
Seeing that this wasn't the 'Dreaded Master', Soun rose to his feet, chuckling a little to himself before saying, "Sorry about that son, I thought our dreaded Master had returned from the dead."  
  
Slapping a hand over Soun's mouth, Genma said, "Quiet, lest you summon him."  
  
"Quite right Saotome. Why don't you finish removing your rain gear before I show you and your son into the house. I'll have my oldest daughter show Ranma here where he can find a towel to dry himself off." said Soun  
  
Nodding, Genma continued removing his rain gear while Soun closed the door. Ranma was curious about his father's friend and his reaction. Thinking it might be the chaotic waves he was putting out, he locked them down as much as he could so it wouldn't affect those around him until he knew how they'd react. He had noted that one girl didn't seem to be affected, but he didn't want to take any chances.  
  
Shaking her head Nabiki headed back into the house. Her father could be very embarrassing at times. She was somewhat curious of this 'Dreaded Master' he spoke of. But for the time being, she wouldn't worry about it. Entering the living room, Nabiki sat down at the table across from Akane. Seeing the look on her sister's face, Nabiki smiled. She knew that Akane was curious about this friend of their father's and his son. She just knew that Akane didn't want to say it.  
  
"Yes Akane, it's father's friend and his son." said Nabiki.  
  
"So what's he look like?" said Akane.  
  
"Oh? What's this? Is my little sister finally taking notice of boys?" teased Nabiki.  
  
"Humph! Boys are nothing but perverts. I was just curious, that's all." said Akane.  
  
"Sure. But to answer your question, he's a little taller than me and has miles and miles of hard grippable muscles." said Nabiki, smirking.  
  
Blushing slightly, Akane said, "Is that all you think of?"  
  
"Hey, gotta learn to appreciate a fine specimen when you see one." replied Nabiki.  
  
It was about this time that Soun came back in with Genma right behind him. Ranma followed a few moments later, still dripping wet. Now that he no longer had his rain gear on, Nabiki could see what this friend of her father's looked like. She wasn't impressed and wondered how much their food bills would go up. Akane on the other hand watched as Ranma stepped into the room. She had to admit that Nabiki was right. Though for some reason, she had begun feeling weird when he had stepped in. Managing to ignore the feeling for the time being, she watched as her father asked Kasumi, who had just stepped out of the kitchen, to show the boy where he could dry off.  
  
As Ranma left with Kasumi toward the bathroom, the feeling left her and she wondered what had happened. She knew something had begun to bother her, but what it was, she didn't know. For the time being, she just listened as her Father introduced his friend to them.  
  
Nabiki on the otherhand wanted to listen in on what her older sister and this prospective fiancee talked about. Excusing herself, she rushed upstairs to her room where she had her surveillance equipment setup. Calling up the bathroom cameras and microphones, she listened in.  
  
*******************  
  
In the changing room...  
  
Grabbing a large towel off the shelf, Kasumi handed it to Ranma who was removing his large pack. Thanking her, he opened the top of the pack, allowing Rhea to pop her head out and breath some fresh air.   
  
["About time."] thought Rhea.  
  
["Sorry about that. I tried to let you out as soon as possible."] thought Ranma.  
  
["It's alright."] replied Rhea.  
  
They were interrupted by Kasumi who was still in the room. She hadn't had time to leave so their guest could change his clothes. Plus she was kind of curious about his pack. She'd seen it moving a little bit earlier.  
  
"Oh my! How pretty!" said Kasumi looking at Rhea.  
  
Turning their attention toward Kasumi, Ranma said, "What?"  
  
Kneeling down, Kasumi began petting Rhea, "Your friend, she's very pretty. I've never seen one with black fur before."  
  
Blinking a moment, Ranma said, "You can see her? I didn't think anyone else could see her."  
  
Nodding, Kasumi smiled as Rhea began purring slightly. She really liked Ranma's friend. The midnight black fur was something she'd never seen before on one of the little creatures. The two or three she'd seen in her lifetime were white in color. One of which wore a circlet like the one she was petting. Only that one had a clear diamond embedded in their circlet instead of the black onyx jewel that was in the circlet of the system bug she was petting currently. Now that she thought about it, Ranma had one around his head as well. Only his had six jewels in it. Figuring she'd ask him about it later, she continued petting Rhea.  
  
Rhea had learnt over the years that she was a glutton for petting. Ever since that day a innocent child asked to pet her, and she allowed him to, she had found that being petted was one of the best things in the world. She too was curious as to how this girl could see her. Normally, she was invisible to beings of order unless she allowed herself to be seen by them. There was something about this girl that was petting her. Something tingling on the edge of her senses. But the sensations of being petted prevented her from looking closer at that feeling.  
  
While Kasumi petted Rhea, Ranma entered the bathroom area so he could change clothes and dry off. The door was thin enough that he and Kasumi could continue talking. He soon returned to find Kasumi holding Rhea in her arms as she ran her hand through his friend's fur. Smiling at the contented looks on both their faces, he picked up his pack and let Kasumi lead him back to the living room.  
  
*******************  
  
Nabiki was a bit dumbfounded about what she had just witnessed. She loved her sister greatly. But there were times she wondered if her sister really was insane. Only insane people talk to thin air as if someone or something is there, right? Still, it wasn't nearly as bad as some people she knew of. Quickly she descended the stairs before Ranma and Kasumi could get to the living room. Entering the living room she sat beside Akane and whispered something into her ear.  
  
"I think Kasumi would be the perfect choice for him" whispered Nabiki.  
  
"Why?" whispered Akane.  
  
"I was listening in on them and it seems Ranma has the same problem Kasumi has." whispered Nabiki.  
  
"You don't mean?" whispered Akane.  
  
Nodding slightly, Nabiki whispered, "Yeah, they were both talking to thin air. I don't know about you, but I'm not all that comfortable being with someone that isn't quite right in the head. I don't mean anything bad about it, but I think that Kasumi would be better for him than either of us."  
  
Nodding, Akane whispered, "Yeah, as long as he's not another Kuno, I don't have a problem with that."  
  
"No worries there. He seems to have the same exact problem Kasumi has." whispered Nabiki.  
  
"Alright then." whispered Akane.  
  
Before they could converse more in private, Kasumi returned with Ranma right behind her. Seating himself at the table, Ranma made himself comfortable while Kasumi went into the kitchen with Rhea. Akane wondered why she wasn't feeling weird like before. Little known to her, Ranma had sensed his chaotic energies affecting the youngest Tendo earlier when he had passed through. While changing, he had clamped down farther on the chaotic waves that emanated from him. He could only maintain the current level of control for about an hour, so long as he didn't exert himself too much. It would be enough time for his father to do what he had to do before he could remove himself from Akane's presence long enough to talk with Rhea about it.  
  
In the kitchen, Kasumi set Rhea on the counter before retrieving some vegetables from the refrigerator. Putting them on a small plate, she set them next to Rhea before putting some of the snacks on a serving dish with the tea and lemonade.  
  
Before she left the kitchen, Kasumi said, "I'll be back in a little while with your friend. Just wait right here. Ok?"  
  
Nodding slightly, Rhea began snacking on the vegetables that the kind girl had set out for her. While snacking, she wondered about the kind girl's ability to see her. Something wasn't quite right. But for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what. She'd have to investigate further after she finished her snack and Ranma had returned.  
  
*******************  
  
In the living room...  
  
Setting the snacks, tea, and lemonade on the table, Kasumi kneeled down and served everyone before serving herself. Seeing Ranma wondering where his friend was, she mouthed 'In the Kitchen' to him. As he nodded, she waited until her father spoke. While earlier she had been a bit uncertain, she knew now that she wouldn't mind being engaged to this young man. He was handsome and he had a friend just like the ones she had. Perhaps he would be the one whom she could truly open up to?  
  
Seeing that everyone was gathered around the table, Soun cleared his throat for his speech ahead. He had only informed his daughters of the engagement earlier that day. And knowing his friend, he was sure that Ranma either was informed just that day, or hadn't been informed yet. Well no matter. Honor had to be satisfied. He just wondered which one the boy would pick. Perhaps Akane, with her skills in martial arts and passionate drive. Or maybe Nabiki, with her keen intellect and savvy business skills. Then there was his oldest daughter. He wondered if the boy might pick her. But then, the boy might not want a girl who often talked to herself. Sometimes he wondered if he might ever find someone willing to marry his oldest, even with her condition.  
  
"Well then, now that we are all gathered here, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Genma and his son Ranma." began Soun, indicating the two guests.  
  
"Hello." said Genma.  
  
"A pleasure." said Ranma.  
  
"And these are my daughters. Kasumi, she's 19. Nabiki, she's 17. And Akane, she's 16. Pick any one you want as your fiancee." said Soun.  
  
Blinking a moment, Ranma said, "Excuse me? Fiancee?"  
  
"Why yes, you see back when your father and I finally freed ourselves from the dreaded master, we decided that we would unite our schools through marriage. So which one will it be?" said Soun.  
  
["Did you hear that Rhea?"] thought Ranma.  
  
["Yes I did. It sounds like something your father would do. And I don't think you can get out of this one either. It's not as simple as those ones on the road where your father tried to sell you off. This one seems real."] thought Rhea from the kitchen. Despite the distance, she could still hear the proceedings in the living room quite clearly thanks to her large ears.  
  
Back in the living room, Ranma was thinking about the current proceedings. Rhea was right, it did sound like something his father would do. The only problem was that this one seemed quite real and the old man would definitely like to see it happen. Looking over the three girls, he wondered about them. He already knew the youngest one was out. She was easily affected by his chaotic aura. That left the other two. Both were pretty. But for him, looks weren't everything. He wanted someone he could connect with. He wasn't sure about Nabiki, but he already knew Kasumi probably would be able to accept the strangeness that came with his life. At least, that was what his gut was telling him.  
  
Before he could speak, Nabiki put her hands on Kasumi's shoulders and said, "Oh he want's Kasumi."  
  
Backing her up, Akane said, "Definitely. He want's Kasumi."  
  
"Oh my!" said Kasumi.  
  
She was surprised. She thought Nabiki would have taken him. Still, she didn't mind all that much. He was nice looking, seemed to be quite mature despite his age, and he didn't think she was insane because she could see those little creatures.  
  
"Then it's settled. Ranma will marry Kasumi!" said Soun while inwardly he hoped that the boy could accept his oldest girl. He knew that Kasumi had problems in the past with people accepting her. It was one of the reasons she didn't really have any friends.  
  
Nodding, Genma agreed. The oldest did seem the best choice. From what he'd seen so far, it was her that cooked all the food and from what he had managed to swipe from the others, it was quite good.  
  
Seeing the food disappear from her plate, Akane shouted, "Hey!" while accidentally knocking over her cup of cold lemonade. The cold liquid splashed Genma, activating his Jusenkyo curse.  
  
Gone was the fat balding man. In his place, a woman, a little smaller than his normal form but still fat, whining about how she needed to lose weight. The Tendo's were shocked at the sudden transformation. But before any of them could pass out, Ranma quickly dumped some of the tea onto his father, returning him to his normal form. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy seeing his father get a taste of his own medicine. It was just that he didn't want to listen to the whining while he was trying to keep his chaotic aura in check.  
  
"Wha...What was that!" shouted Akane.  
  
Sighing, Genma proceeded to tell them about Jusenkyo and what it had done to him. How he had fallen into the pool of 'Drowned Emotional Woman on a Strict Diet'. Of course this turned out to be one of Genma's worst nightmares. He liked being a man and eating all he wanted. His cursed form not only was the opposite of his true gender, but was quite weaker and always eating only the bare minimum so as to lose weight. Since he'd gotten the curse, he'd lost several pounds in his cursed form which transferred over to his normal form.  
  
Soun simply nodded with a solemn look on his face. "Jusenkyo, it's true horror has been shrouded in mystery. But the life of a martial artist is fraught with peril. I'm sure you can overcome this Saotome."  
  
Putting the thoughts of Jusenkyo out of his mind, Genma resumed eating the snacks on the table. Seeing the youngest watching him closely, he wisely decided not the swipe any more from the others. Quickly, he polished off the rest of his snacks. Looking for more, he saw that everyone else had finished off theirs as well. Shrugging to himself, Genma decided he could wait until dinner since it was fairly close.  
  
Both Akane and Nabiki were shocked at first but as the explanations were given, they couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it. Both could see that the man in front of them liked to eat. As was evidenced by the amount of food he ate. It was oddly fitting the man turned into someone on a diet. They were still shocked at the evidence of real magic, but living in Nerima, one learned to get over unexplainable things fast.   
  
"Kasumi dear, why don't you take Ranma upstairs so you can get to know one another better while I catch up with my old friend. You can show him where he'll be staying as well." said Soun before walking off with Genma at his side. Both reminiscing about the past while thinking about the joining of the schools and ways of curing Genma's curse.  
  
*******************  
  
While Kasumi took Ranma upstairs, Akane headed for the Dojo to practice. She was happy she wasn't the one that had been engaged. She knew that Ranma was a martial artist and normally she would have challenged him right away to prove she was the best. But from what Nabiki had told her, he was like her sister. So instead, she'd wait until later. After all, how good could someone that wasn't all there in the head be?  
  
Nabiki on the other hand retreated to her room to read some of her 'naughty' manga. She had some stress to relieve since she had gotten her hopes up with the prospective fiancee their father had told them about. There was still a chance that she'd end up engaged to him if it didn't work out with her older sister. Which she figured it wouldn't despite both of them being slightly insane. So in the meantime she'd watch the two and see if they hit it off and if he could accept her sister. Despite his own condition, the thought of being engaged to him didn't sound too bad. He was easy on the eyes and seemed to be more intelligent and mature than most boys her age.  
  
*******************  
  
Upstairs...  
  
Opening her door, Kasumi gestured for Ranma to enter. Nodding he stepped into his new fiancee's room. Setting his pack down, he took a good look around. As his eyes fell upon a nice sized bed full of stuffed animals, he couldn't help but smile and make a comment about it.  
  
"I guess I know what to get you for your birthday." he said while gesturing to the many plush toys.  
  
Blushing a little, Kasumi closed the door and guided Ranma over to her bed. Sitting down, she moved a few of her stuffed friends aside so that he could sit beside her.  
  
"I'm sorry about the mess. I haven't had anyone in my room in a very long time." said Kasumi.  
  
Curious, Ranma asked, "What about your sisters?"  
  
Shaking her head, Kasumi replied, "Nabiki and Akane never come to my room for any reason. I'm not exactly sure why though."  
  
"Interesting...So, what do you want to talk about?" asked Ranma.  
  
Smiling shyly, Kasumi replied, "Well, since we are betrothed, I thought it might be a good idea to get to know my fiancee better."  
  
Smiling a little himself, Ranma said, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. It would be a good idea. I'm still not too comfortable with the whole fiancee idea though."  
  
Sighing in relief, Kasumi said, "Really? I'm so glad. I'm not very comfortable with it myself either. I mean, father only told us about it today. Don't get me wrong. I'm not totally against the idea, but I would like to get to know you first before we even thought about marriage."  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "Oh I agree. Marriage is not something to just rush into like our fathers think. It takes time for each person to get to know the other."  
  
Smiling, Kasumi said, "I believe the same thing Ranma-kun."  
  
Smirking, Ranma said, "Well, we at least have one thing in common."  
  
Giggling a little, Kasumi asked, "Ranma-kun. Downstairs it seemed that you didn't agree with what your father said about that Jusenkyo place. What really happened there?"  
  
Sighing, Ranma ran a hand through his hair before answering. "Well, it all started like this..."  
  
*******************  
  
Elsewhere within the house...  
  
While she let Ranma and Kasumi get to know one another better, Rhea hopped about the house trying to get a feel for it. She had sensed something about that Kasumi girl earlier and would have to take a closer look sometime soon. She had a hunch about what she felt and could only hope her hunch was wrong. However she decided to let Ranma have some private time to talk with her first. It would do him some good to talk to someone near to his own age and species.  
  
The arraigned marriage idea that Genma and his friend had come up with felt like a page right out of the book 'Stupidity for Dummies'. Of course no such book existed. At least as far as she knew. However she'd just have to see how it played out. Her friend did need more friends than just her. And from what she could tell, that Kasumi girl either didn't have any or had very few friends. Of course, that comment about seeing others of her kind would need to be looked into as well.  
  
Hopping into the dojo, Rhea saw Akane working out. Well, she assumed the youngest Tendo was working out. The sight of all the broken pieces of concrete would lend itself more to a construction site in the middle of demolition than any martial art she knew of.  
  
Seeing nothing of interest, Rhea turned to leave. However just before she could, a loud cry of pain made her halt. Glancing back at the young girl, Rhea could see the girl holding her hand and glaring at the concrete block in front of her. Curious, Rhea adjusted her vision to read the aura's of the room.   
  
As soon as her vision shifted, she realized what had happened. The youngest Tendo appeared to be one of those very few rare people who possessed no chaotic energies. Normally it wouldn't have been a problem since those type of people usually led fairly uninteresting lives that changed very little.   
  
Rhea knew this would have been very true for the youngest Tendo as well. If she lived anywhere else other than Nerima. The reason behind this was because Nerima was situated right on one of the earth's primary chaos nexus's. She had noticed it as soon as they entered the area. These nexus's were points where chaotic energy seemed to concentrate. It was these places that the Chaos Mages of ancient times tapped into to get their power. Usually by fashioning a item that acted as a reservoir and linking it to the nexus.  
  
She had only run into one other major chaos nexus before, and that was Jusenkyo. Of course, Ranma falling into the waters there had drained and destroyed the reservoir that was buried there, making the area safe for people to dwell once more. Those reservoirs had a bad habit of making area's unsafe to live in since they concentrated the chaotic energies to dangerous levels. She didn't feel the presence of any reservoirs in the area and figured that probably was a good thing with what she had just discovered about the youngest Tendo.  
  
The main reason behind this was because people like her were unbalanced. They were made up of pure order and with no chaos to balance that, their bodies tended to try and correct this by sucking in any chaos around them it could find. Because of this, they would many times find themselves in situations where the odds of it happening were so astronomically against it happening, it would be considered a sure bet in any gambling parlor.  
  
The second problem was when too much chaotic energies were absorbed, strange things happened. Well strange by anyone's opinion other than herself and Ranma. Such as what had stopped her from leaving. Akane was breaking bricks like normally when Rhea had entered. Because of the sudden increase of chaotic energies, Akane's body had absorbed too much chaos and as soon as her hand had approached the easily breakable concrete, the excess chaos energy had left her body and entered the brick. Thus changing it from weak concrete into hard and unyielding granite.  
  
This of course led to the third problem with people like Akane. When their bodies absorbed too much chaotic energy and released it since it was incompatible with them in any way, it tended to make them more emotional. Usually pushing them into some common emotion they could utilize easier than others. In this case, it appeared it was anger. The emotion invoked wasn't always the same. Sometimes it changed. But for the most part, it was a predominant emotion which was fallen back on many times because of some event or situation that had previously transpired.  
  
*******************  
  
Somewhere in Nerima...  
  
A certain delusional Kendoist and several dozen school boys sneezed violently...  
  
*******************  
  
Back at the Dojo...  
  
Now that Rhea knew what had happened to the youngest Tendo, she decided she would have to talk to Ranma about it. They'd both have to keep a tighter control on their energies when they were near Akane. Otherwise she might end up in situations she wasn't prepared for. She did notice that Ranma had reigned in his energies earlier. Perhaps he had sensed what was happening with the youngest Tendo. She'd have to ask him about it when she saw him.  
  
Hopping out of the Dojo, Rhea went to find the other members of the household. She wanted to check them out as well, just in case they were like Akane. People like her tended to be born that way and Rhea wanted to make sure that nobody else in the house would be affected.   
  
Hopefully it would only take a short time before the bodies of anyone that was affected adjusted and stabilized to the new higher ambient chaos levels that resulted in her and Ranma's presence. Otherwise, things could get fairly interesting for the local populace. Then again, people who lived on top of these nexus's did tend to handle strange and unusual things better than those that did not live in these areas.  
  
Hopping upstairs, Rhea went in search for that Nabiki girl. She remembered feeling something about her similar to Kasumi, only weaker. As she searched, her mind thought about her observations of Akane and what she sensed about Kasumi and Nabiki. A new hypothesis began to form on how the current situation arose and if her assumptions panned out, she would have liked to meet the woman that gave birth to these three girls...  
  
*******************  
  
Up in Kasumi's room...  
  
"...And that's what really happened." said Ranma.  
  
"Oh my! And you're sure you didn't get cursed when you fell in?" said Kasumi.  
  
Nodding, Ranma replied, "As far as I know. I have noticed that I have quite a bit more energy since I fell in. Probably since I absorbed all the chaotic energy that was saturating the area. Fortunately nobody else will ever get cursed there again since the energy is now within me."  
  
Curious, Kasumi asked, "That's good. But what is this chaos energy you are speaking of?"  
  
Thinking a moment Ranma replied, "It's kind of hard to explain but I'll try my best to tell you about it. Rhea knows more about it than I do."  
  
Nodding, Kasumi urged him to go on.  
  
"Let's see now, it all began when I was six years old... " began Ranma.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Several blocks away from the Tendo Dojo, a peculiar person was scratching his head while trying to find his way through the winding streets. All around him people passed by and yet none took notice of him. Taking one more look around, he turned and headed toward the place where his senses told him was the strongest concentration of energy. What kind of energy it was, he didn't know. All he knew was that it was the same energy that belonged to the person he was seeking. He smiled at the thought of what he was going to give his quarry once they met.  
  
*******************  
  
Back at the Tendo Dojo, within Kasumi's room...  
  
"...and that is what chaos energy is for the most part." said Ranma.  
  
"How interesting." said Kasumi.  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "According to Rhea, very few know about it. It's just one of those things that most people don't care about."  
  
Smiling, Kasumi said, "Thank you very much for telling me."  
  
"Redrum... Redrum... Redrum..." said a faint voice.  
  
Glancing around for a second for the source of the voice, Ranma shrugged to himself and returned his attention to Kasumi.   
  
"You're welcome. So tell me a little about yourself." said Ranma.  
  
"Well, as you know, I'm the oldest of three girls. When I was young, my mother passed away and left my father an emotional wreck. Ever since then I've tried to take care of my family." said Kasumi.  
  
"That's very admirable" said Ranma.  
  
Smiling, Kasumi said, "Why thank you. I enjoy taking care of others. It's part of the reason why I wanted to get into medicine."  
  
"Redrum... Redrum... Redrum..." repeated the faint voice.  
  
Glancing around once again, Ranma briefly wondered if he was hearing things before returning his attention back to something more important. Namely learning more about his bride to be.  
  
"Really?" he asked.  
  
Nodding, Kasumi said, "Yes, I've always wanted to learn to be a doctor or nurse. Maybe a pediatrician or something similar since I love children."  
  
Smiling, Ranma said, "I'm sure you'd be a great doctor. And I'm certain that kids would just love you."  
  
Her smile brightening, Kasumi replied, "That's a sweet thing to say Ranma-kun."  
  
"I only speak the truth." said Ranma with his own smile.  
  
Blushing a little from the compliments, Kasumi was interrupted by another voice within the room.  
  
"Redrum... Redrum... Redrum..." said the voice.  
  
Curious, Ranma asked, "Who is that?"  
  
"Oh? That's one of my dolls." said Kasumi as she reached over to a nearby shelf and picked up an old doll. Handing it to Ranma, she said, "I bought it from a nice little curio shop when I was younger. It's one of my favorite dolls."  
  
"I'm going to pluck out your eyes and roast them like chestnuts! Then I'm gonna make a stew out of your innards and feed it to your family before I cut them up into little pieces and feed em to the stray dogs!" said the doll.  
  
Examining the doll for a minute, Ranma set it down on the bed before stepping over to his pack. Rummaging around in it for a moment, he soon returned to his spot next to Kasumi with a small wrapped bundle. Unwrapping it slowly, the contents were soon revealed to be a doll of unknown origin, similar in age to Kasumi's doll.   
  
Handing it to her, Ranma said, "A few years ago my father got ahold of an old treasure map. Following it, he found an old locked chest just off the coast of America at the bottom of the ocean. Once he got it to shore, he opened it only to find this doll. He tossed it aside to see if there was anything else in the chest that was valuable. Since I had never had a toy before when I was growing up, I immediately picked it up and kept it. I had to fight with him a little bit over it since he didn't want me to have it but eventually he just gave up for some reason. Sometimes when Rhea had to run off and do something, I'd take it to bed with me and sleep with it. I don't do it anymore but back then I was still fairly young."  
  
"I'm going to cut off your testicles and nail them to a tree so the woodpeckers can come and peck at your balls! Then I'm gonna cook your manhood like a polish sausage and enter it at a polish cookoff! Finally I'm gonna grind you up and toss your remains into the woods so the bears can eat you and get diarrhea!" said Ranma's doll.  
  
"Oh my, it's so cute! Do you mind if I put it with my doll so they can keep each other company?" asked Kasumi.  
  
Nodding, Ranma said, "Sure, go ahead."  
  
Smiling, Kasumi took the two dolls and set them on a shelf next to each other while both continued issuing death threats to both teens. Stepping back a little, Kasumi nodded as she was satisfied with their placement. Stepping up beside her, Ranma nodded as well.  
  
"They look good like that." he said.  
  
Nodding, Kasumi said, "Let me show you where you'll be sleeping. I'm sure you'd like to unpack and get settled in."  
  
"Thank You, I'd appreciate that." said Ranma.  
  
Opening the door, Kasumi allowed Ranma to exit first before she turned toward the two dolls one last time. Smiling, she thought it was so nice that Ranma let her keep his doll in her room. Maybe being his fiancee wouldn't be too bad after all. And maybe she could finally let the mask fully go and be herself for once.  
  
Turning back, she closed the door as she walked down the hall to show her new fiancee where he'd be staying.  
  
*******************  
  
Back in Kasumi's Room...  
  
Sitting on the shelf, the two dolls sighed as yet another round of threats failed to yield any results. With nothing better to do for the time being, the two began to talk with each other over their respective owners.  
  
"I take it you haven't had any luck in killing your owner." said Kasumi's doll.  
  
"No, can't say I haven't tried either. Nothing I say seems to make that boy afraid of me. How about you?" said Ranma's doll.  
  
"The same. She seems to think I'm cute and finds comfort with me around. She used to cuddle up with me when she was younger. I swear, ever since she bought me, I've yet to once make her afraid of me. Nothing seems to faze her." said Kasumi's doll.  
  
"I hear ya. I've had the same problem with my owner. The boy just accepts the unusual in stride. He has no fear of the unknown and seems to find comfort in strange things happening. It's just odd." said Ranma's doll.  
  
"I've noticed the same thing with my owner. Sigh... Sometimes being a possessed doll sucks." said Kasumi's doll.  
  
"Yep, this job just ain't what it used to be. I remember when all I had to do was speak and my owner would become afraid. Then it was all a matter of using that fear of me to kill them." said Ranma's doll.  
  
"I know what you're saying. My owner has a couple of sisters that are terrified of me. They haven't entered this room in ages because of their fear. But since neither is my owner, I can't kill either of them." said Kasumi's doll, her voice a little sad.  
  
"It's too bad neither of them is your owner. Heck, I wish they were my owner. At least then I could finally kill someone. I haven't killed anyone since I was locked in that chest all those years ago. Stupid superstitious americans and their witch hunts." said Ranma's Doll.  
  
"You were in Salem during the witch trials?" asked Kasumi's Doll.  
  
"Yeah, some little girl found me in an old box in her attic. About a day later I killed her. The people thought her mother did it and killed her by setting her house on fire with her inside it. It was a two for one deal. One of the villagers found me in the remains of the house. Since I wasn't damaged by the fire, she cried out for someone to take care of me. They locked me up and tossed me into the ocean." said Ranma's Doll.  
  
"So what the boy said about his father finding you was the truth? But how did he have a map?" asked Kasumi's Doll.  
  
"Heh, I got a look at it not too long after I was found. Turns out one of the villagers made a map when the chest was dumped. Wrote all kinds of warnings on the thing about 'Do not Disturb' or 'Great Evil awaits thee'. Nonsense like that. Of course it turned out that the fat slob could barely read english in the first place. Especially old english." replied Ranma's Doll.  
  
Chuckling a little bit, Kasumi's doll asked, "You have any clue on what the boy was talking about earlier? Something about chaos?"  
  
"Not a clue. Frankly, that boy is a little strange. Always talking to thin air and such. Frankly, I think he's insane. It's the only reason I can come up with that my threats don't affect him." said Ranma's Doll.  
  
"Really? Sounds like my owner. She's always talks to things that aren't there. Even leaves food out at night sometimes. Of course it's gone in the morning but that's just because some dogs or cats probably came and ate it." said Kasumi's Doll.  
  
"Sigh, the life of a cursed doll is fraught with perils." said Ranma's Doll.  
  
"True, very true." said Kasumi's Doll.  
  
Both dolls sighed once more and remained quiet. Both were depressed and they hoped they'd be able to kill their owners some day. Or at the very least, get new owners. However for now, they'd just have to remain where they are. Two dolls against two of the hardest people they've ever tried to kill.  
  
*******************  
  
Just down the hall...  
  
Watching as Kasumi showed Ranma to his room, Nabiki wondered how the boy had survived Kasumi's room. She had been certain that doll of Kasumi's would have killed the boy. She hated to admit it, but she had been terrified of that cursed thing ever since Kasumi brought it home one day. It was the main reason neither she nor Akane ever went into their older sister's room. But seeing as their new houseguest and possible brother-in-law had survived Kasumi's room, her spirits brightened. Maybe Kasumi had finally gotten rid of that accursed thing.  
  
Making sure nobody saw her, Nabiki crept from her room and opened the door to her sister's room slowly. Peaking in, letting her gaze run across the room, her eyes quickly fell on Kasumi's favorite doll. The cursed thing that had plagued her nightmares quite a few times over the years. Just before she could hightail it out of there, her eyes spotted something new. It was sitting right next to Kasumi's doll and it was turning to look at her. Fear anew sprang up and a new connection was just made in her mind. That was probably why the boy had survived the room. He brought his own cursed doll!  
  
Hearing the creak of the door, Ranma's doll turned to see who it was. Seeing it was someone new, it whispered to Kasumi's doll. "Who's that?" it whispered.  
  
"Nabiki, my owners younger sister. She's one of the ones I told you about." whispered Kasumi's doll.   
  
Invoking it's gaze of fear, the eyes of Ranma's doll began to shine red. Speaking loud enough for Nabiki to hear, it said, "Mmmm....Fresh Meat."  
  
Her eyes wide in panic, Nabiki quickly shut the door and ran back to her room. Her mind could only process that there was another of those accursed things in the house and it had seen her. Once in her room, she slammed the door shut and dove under the covers of her bed before curling up into a ball and chanting over and over, "They're gonna get me. They're gonna get me. They're gonna get me."  
  
*******************  
  
Back in Kasumi's room...  
  
Chuckling, Kasumi's doll said, "I'm impressed. It didn't take you very long to scare her. Too bad she's not your owner though."  
  
Sighing, Ranma's doll said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. The rules say we can't kill anyone that is not our owner. Still, I did need a little ego boost from all the failures I've had with my owner."  
  
"I know what you mean. I was trying to do the same thing to your owner when he showed up." said Kasumi's doll.  
  
Again, both dolls sighed as their thoughts once again turned to their difficult owners. With each failure, their hopes dwindled further and further. Soon, they would have no hope left and then, who knew. But until that time, each would continue it vigilant struggle to kill their owners.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
Just down the hall, within the guest bedroom, Kasumi had just finished showing her new fiancee where he could find everything he would need for the foreseeable future. The room they were in was vary sparse in decoration. Aside from a small dresser and a couple of futons, the room had no other furnishings.  
  
"Is there anything else you'll need Ranma-kun?" asked Kasumi.  
  
Thinking a moment, Ranma shook his head before replying, "No, I don't think so."  
  
"Alright then, I need to start preparing dinner. You can unpack while I get everything going. I'll call you when it's ready." said Kasumi.  
  
Nodding, Ranma responded, "Alright then. It shouldn't take me too long to unpack my stuff. I think I'll practice a little bit after I'm done."  
  
"Alright then, dinner should be ready in a little while." said Kasumi before stepping out the door.  
  
"Oh Kasumi!" said Ranma, trying to catch her before she left.  
  
Poking her head back in, Kasumi said, "Yes?"  
  
"If you see Rhea, tell her I want to see her." said Ranma.  
  
Nodding, Kasumi said, "I'll let her know."  
  
"Thanks!" replied Ranma as Kasumi left to prepare dinner.  
  
Looking around the room a little more, Ranma wondered where to put some of his stuff. Since the room was so spartan, he'd only be able to unpack his clothes for the time being. He'd have to see if they'd let him build some shelves later on once they settled in. Putting his clothes away in the small dresser, Ranma set his pack in one of the corners before sitting down and working on his control of the energies he had absorbed from Jusenkyo.  
  
As he let his aura become visible, a black corona of flaming energy surrounded him, casting an eerie dark glow throughout the room. He began slowly, starting with the exercises he had down before moving into the new exercises he and Rhea had come up with since leaving Jusenkyo.   
  
His control was getting better with each time he did this. Full control of chaotic energies was supposed to be impossible from what he had been taught. This was due to the nature of chaos. Still, Rhea had often been surprised at the level of control he was able yield over his own chaotic energies. But for the time being, he wasn't trying to control the energy storm surrounding him. He was just letting it roam free as he slowly assimilated it fully into himself.  
  
*******************  
  
Just down the hall...  
  
Hopping out of Nabiki's room, Rhea thought about what she had discovered. She had fully checked over all the members of the household with the exception of that Kasumi girl. As each person was checked, her earlier hunch seemed to become closer to reality. And if it panned out, she hoped there was something she and Ranma could do about it.   
  
Before her thoughts could continue further, she sensed the buildup of chaotic energies. They seemed to be coming from down the hall in one of the rooms without a nameplate upon it. From the feel of it, she could tell it was Ranma.  
  
Hopping down the hall, she pushed open the door and hopped into the room. Watching her friend for a few moments, she smiled to herself as she saw that Ranma was able to assimilate the energy he had gained from Jusenkyo. He might have absorbed it when he fell into that pool, but he had to consciously take the time to take that energy and make it his own before he could utilize it. It would be a while before he converted enough of it to be of much use. There was an awfully lot of energy stored within that ancient relic.   
  
Watching him for several minutes, she smiled to herself as she felt some of the energy he absorbed become part of his own aura. Deciding she'd seen enough, Rhea thought, ["Ranma, I need to talk with you."]  
  
The black energy storm quickly began to disappear as Ranma reigned in those energies. As soon as it was gone, he opened his eyes and smiled as he saw Rhea. Making himself more comfortable, he picked up Rhea and set her in his lap before he began to pet her lightly.  
  
["I wanted to talk with you as well."] thought Ranma.  
  
["Oh? What about?"] replied Rhea.  
  
["Did you sense anything different about that Akane girl? I think she might be reacting adversely to the chaotic aura we put out."] thought Ranma.  
  
Nodding, Rhea replied, ["Yes I did. I also know why as well. It appears she's one of those few rare people that have no chaos in them to balance out the order. Remember when I taught you about them?"]   
  
["Yeah I do. But I thought that condition was extremely rare."] thought Ranma.  
  
["It rarer than you might think. In all of Midgard, there are probably only five or six people with that condition. What makes matters worse is she's living on top of a primary chaos nexus."] thought Rhea.  
  
["You're right. That's not good at all. But I don't think there's anything we can do for her right now."] replied Ranma.  
  
["Agreed. But there's more. I just finished checking out that Nabiki girl. She is quite strong with chaos. And I believe Kasumi is even stronger. I think that's why she's able to see me."} thought Rhea.  
  
Curious, Ranma thought, ["How did that happen?"]  
  
["I believe that their mother was exceptionally strong in chaos. When she gave birth to Kasumi, most of that chaos probably went to her. While the remainder went to Nabiki. As for Akane, when she was conceived, there wasn't any chaos left for her. Which led to her condition."] thought Rhea.  
  
["But if that's the case, wouldn't any woman who had too many children, run out of chaos?"] replied Ranma.  
  
Shaking her head, Rhea replied, ["No it wouldn't. You see, when a child is born, a spark of chaos is given to it from it's mother. Normally this is so small that it's hardly noticeable and is usually regained with time. But there are rare exceptions like what we have here. A woman with extremely strong chaotic levels. Because of the larger amount of chaos, the first child was given much more than what was safe for the mother. In turn, it would take much longer for the mother to recuperate."]  
  
["Okay"] thought Ranma.  
  
["But that's not the important part right now. I highly believe that their mother was coming down with Chaos Poisoning when she gave birth to Kasumi because of the high chaos levels in her body. Once that large portion of her chaos left, it slowed down the poisoning long enough for Nabiki to be born. But by then it was too late. Akane's birth created too much stress on their mother's body causing it to begin shutting down. It probably took a few years before she died. Most likely from some disease."] thought Rhea.  
  
["So that explains Akane."] thought Ranma.  
  
["Yes it does, but there's another thing. Now I'm not certain, but I think that Kasumi might eventually develop Chaos Poisoning due to the high level of chaos within her. But like I said, I'm not certain about that. I'll have to check her over thoroughly before I'll know with absolute certainty."] thought Rhea.  
  
Worried about his new fiancee, Ranma thought, ["Do you think I should tell her?"]  
  
Shaking her head, Rhea replied, ["No, I wouldn't tell her. There's no use in making her worry needlessly. Besides, I might be wrong and it's just some weird fluke that she is able to see me. Currently, Nabiki doesn't have enough chaos within her to develop Chaos Poisoning. So there is a possibility that Kasumi isn't in danger either. I'll know better once I've had a better look. But I won't be able to thoroughly check her out till tonight while she's sleeping."]  
  
Nodding, Ranma replied, ["Okay then. I won't say anything until you check her over."]  
  
Before they could communicate further, a voice was heard calling him. "Ranma! Dinner is ready!" called Kasumi's sweet voice.  
  
"Alright, I'll be right there!" he responded.  
  
Standing up, Ranma headed for the door as he thought about what Rhea had just informed him about. If what she said was true, he'd have to do something to help Kasumi. What, he didn't know. He had a few ideas, but he'd have to discuss them in length with Rhea another time.   
  
As he stepped into the hall, deep in thought, he didn't notice as he was about to run into Akane as she was heading downstairs for dinner. Fortunately, Rhea managed to catch his attention and warn him of the impending collision before it happened.   
  
Seeing Ranma come out of the guest room, Akane was about to say hello before that weird feeling she had felt earlier returned with a vengeance. For some strange reason, she was having urges to reach out and grab something. Something heavy to use to make the feeling go away. Managing to suppress it as best she could, she quickly passed him. Whatever it was, it seemed to only happen when she was within his presence.  
  
Noticing what had happened, Ranma quickly reigned in his chaotic aura. Nestled within his arms, Rhea too reigned in hers. Neither had expected to run into the youngest Tendo. Both hoped their aura's hadn't done something to the young girl.   
  
Unbeknownst to Ranma, Rhea, and Akane, the brief exposure to the high level chaotic energies had done something. It wasn't obvious, but would make itself known in the fullness of time.   
  
As with how chaos affected people like Akane, her body had absorbed too much and discharged it rapidly. While Akane managed to reign in her emotional swing, the fabric of her panties had been transformed from comfortable cotton into itchy fiberglass insulation. While not noticeable at first, within the hour, she'd begin to notice something wasn't quite right. That was if she could keep from scratching and embarrassing herself.  
  
As soon as the energies were contained, Akane noticed the feeling mostly go away. She wondered what it was for a moment before shrugging it off for the time being. She was hungry and her workout earlier had increased her appetite. She was still a bit miffed, if not confused about how a piece of granite got mixed in with her concrete blocks. Her hand was still quite sore from when she tried to break it. Figuring she'd ask Nabiki about it later, she quickly descended the stairs and made her way to the table.   
  
Behind her, Ranma followed while making sure there wouldn't be any spikes of chaotic energy leaking out during dinner. That dip in Jusenkyo had really thrown what control he had for a loop. Fortunately, he had managed to regain the ability to lock it down fairly quickly. Otherwise there might be more incidents like that one village he had visited shortly after Jusenkyo.  
  
Putting those thoughts out of his mind, he quickly made his own way to the table. On the way, he let Rhea hop out of his arms and into the kitchen. Those vegetables she had earlier were quite good and she was looking forward to some more. Plus she wanted to take a slightly better look at Kasumi. She'd do a more thorough check that night while the girl slept. However, she was getting more and more certain on what she would find. And then, who knew. She just hoped something could be done if her hypothesis turned out true.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile, in the Kitchen...  
  
Hopping into the kitchen, Rhea looked around for a moment before hopping over to a counter and sitting down. Seeing that Kasumi had noticed her, Rhea silently waited as the oldest Tendo daughter finished the last of the preparations on dinner. While she waited, Rhea examined Kasumi a little bit to see if there was anything that might tell her something other than what she had been fearing. Unfortunately, from what she could tell, the results were the same. Only after that night, after an in depth look was taken, would she know for sure. But that was for later. In the meantime, she nibbled on some of the vegetables that Kasumi had just given her.  
  
After giving Rhea something to eat, Kasumi resumed humming happily to herself as she put the remaining touches on the dinner she had prepared for her family and their guests. If one of her family were to see her then, they might have noticed something different about her. Perhaps the extra bounce in her step. Or maybe the more genuine smile that adorned her face. Perhaps the extra effort she put into making dinner that evening?   
  
Whatever they might see, it was of no consequence. Right then, Kasumi was happy. She had just met someone. Someone whom she had the potential to be truly open with. And that was a feeling she was savoring. What she was feeling wasn't love. At least not yet. But the seed had been planted. And perhaps it would begin to germinate soon.  
  
However the future may play out, Kasumi had hungry mouths to feed. Putting the final touches on dinner, Kasumi began taking it out to the table. As Kasumi began serving dinner to the family, Rhea smiled to herself. She had seen Kasumi's smile and figured the girl had begun falling for the wild stallion himself. While the engagement seemed rushed, she hoped it worked out in the end.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile, at the table...  
  
As Kasumi began setting out the various foods, Genma's mouth began to salivate as the odors assaulted his nose. Next to him, Ranma sat. His mouth salivating as well. With Genma around, Ranma rarely got to partake in quality food other than the times he was with his various teachers in the martial arts. And from what he could smell, this food was of exceptional quality.  
  
Once everything was set out and served, everybody began to consume the food that the eldest Tendo daughter had prepared. To those that had not partaken of her food, their taste buds were bombarded by tastes too numerous to mention.  
  
For the others, this meal was slightly better than normal. However it wasn't something they thought much about. There was one person however, that wanted to make their thoughts known about the food they were consuming.  
  
"This is excellent Kasumi." said Ranma in an attempt to compliment her further. It was one of the things he'd been taught by one of his teachers. Always compliment a girl.  
  
Blushing slightly, Kasumi replied, "Your welcome Ranma-kun."  
  
Looking back and forth between the two, Nabiki smiled to herself. Maybe setting these two up together wasn't such a bad idea. It appeared they got along quite well. However it was still too early to tell for sure if it would work out between the two.  
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
As everybody was finishing dinner, outside a mysterious figure had finally found where his quarry was hiding. Chuckling to himself, the mysterious figure couldn't help but think of what was to transpire as he gave his quarry what was coming to him.  
  
*******************  
  
Inside, a few moments later...  
  
Since dinner was done with, everyone began going their separate ways. Akane quickly headed to her room to figure out why she kept having uncontrollable urges to scratch herself. Nabiki headed to her own room to study for a bit before delving into some naughty fantasies about herself, Ranma, and a Jacuzzi filled with lime jello. Genma and Soun began to play a rousing game of Go, each cheating err making effective use of unconventional tactics. And Kasumi retreated to the kitchen to begin taking care of the dishes.   
  
As the last one left, Ranma decided to work out a bit before retiring for the evening. Walking over to the entrance of the kitchen, he poked his head in.  
  
"Hey Kasumi." said Ranma.  
  
Turning at the sound of her new fiancee's voice, Kasumi replied, "Yes Ranma-kun?"  
  
"I just wanted to let you know that if anyone needs me, I'll be in the dojo practicing." said Ranma.  
  
Nodding, Kasumi replied, "Alright. Have fun."  
  
Smiling, Ranma nodded before making his way to the Dojo. He still had a few things he wanted to do before going to bed. One of which was working on the energies he'd gained from Jusenkyo. He hadn't been able to do much earlier since Rhea had interrupted him. But now, he figured he'd be able to make the goal he'd attempted to achieve earlier.  
  
*******************  
  
In the kitchen...  
  
Humming to herself, Kasumi worked diligently as she thought about her new fiancee. He was so different than anyone she'd met before. He was kind, gentle, smart, witty, among many other things. It was hard to believe he was only sixteen years old.  
  
On the counter, Rhea simply watched the eldest Tendo as she did the dishes from dinner. At the moment, she wasn't looking into why Kasumi could see her. She'd do that later that night once everyone was asleep. No, right now she was simply watching the girl. From what she could observe, the girl was thinking about her long time companion and best friend.   
  
She always found it interesting that her friend could attract so many girls and yet not seem interested in them at all. She just figured it had to do with his chaotic aura. Girls were just naturally attracted to him cause of it for some strange reason. And of course she had noticed him beginning to take a shine to the girl as well.   
  
*******************  
  
Meanwhile, in the Dojo...  
  
Stepping into the Dojo, Ranma looked around briefly before heading for the center. From what he could feel, the place wasn't used as much as it used to be. A shame in his opinion. He always liked working out in well used Dojo's that emanated strength from having many people trained within it's walls.  
  
Once he reached the center, Ranma closed his eyes and began a low level kata, designed to limber up the body. As his body went through the motions, he slowly let his chaotic aura out. Soon he was moving faster and faster. His body ablaze with ebony flames. Around him, shadows formed as the corona of energy flared.   
  
*******************  
  
Outside...  
  
The mysterious figure perked up as he sensed an increase in the energy level of his prey. Scanning the house, he quickly found it's source. Hopping over the outside perimeter wall, the figured began heading toward the dojo.  
  
*******************  
  
In the kitchen...  
  
Just as she finished cleaning up, Kasumi's head turned toward the dojo. She could feel her new fiancee's energy has he practiced. To her, it was a new experience and she wanted to know more about what he was doing.  
  
Hanging up her apron, Kasumi picked Rhea up and made her way to the dojo. She was curious as to what Ranma was doing in there.   
  
In her arms Rhea adjusted herself to the most comfortable position she could. She too felt the chaotic waves her friend was emitting as he practiced. She just hoped it wouldn't affect the youngest Tendo any. Though she was curious about Kasumi. From what she could tell, the girl had sensed her friend. Figuring it would be explained that night, Rhea just waited until they got to the dojo. She'd have to teach Ranma how to put a shield up to prevent his energy from being sensed and permeating the air like it was currently.  
  
*******************  
  
In the living room...  
  
At the go table, Genma and Soun shivered unconsciously. Neither paid much attention to what was going on around them as they were so engrossed in their game. Had they been, they would have thought the master had returned.  
  
*******************  
  
In Nabiki's room...  
  
Nabiki was furiously masturbating with her favorite vibrator. As the chaotic waves permeated her room, the vibrator malfunctioned and the little motor inside increased speed dramatically and sent her into the most intense orgasm she had ever had. So intense that she fell unconscious just before her toy stopped functioning all together. As she slept, there was a tiny smile on her face.  
  
*******************  
  
In Akane's room...  
  
Cursing quietly, Akane wondered what the heck happened. Holding up the article of clothing she had just removed, she glared at it wondering where it came from. She was sure she was wearing cotton panties that morning. How they turned into itchy fiberglass, she hadn't a clue. Tossing them to the side, she didn't witness as they returned to cotton as the waves of chaotic energy passed her room. Fortunately for once, the chaotic energy did not affect her adversely. Itching herself, she headed for the furo and a nice hot soak.  
  
*******************  
  
Out in the countryside, a sudden storm began to stir. Thunder rumbled as lightning crashed. Suddenly, without warning, a large bolt of white hot lightning descended to the ground, striking a large boulder wrapped with wards. They held up for as long as they could before the lightning finally overwhelmed them. The wards gone, the seal that had contained an ancient evil has been terribly weakened. It would only be a matter of time before it escaped to reign terror on the populace.   
  
*******************  
  
Buried deep beneath the surface of the earth long ago, an ancient artifact began to stir as it sensed a being that could wield it's awesome and mighty power. Crafted ages ago during the age of magic, the artifact had been the ultimate creation of a powerful chaos mage. It was a weapon that could only be wielded by one that was empowered by chaos. A rune weapon of sorts, it had been created by the sacrifice of a young teenage virgin girl and a powerful golden dragon.   
  
When the Chaos Mage that had created it attempted to wield it's mighty power, the power had destroyed the weapon's creator due to the fact the mage was a being of order. The resultant backlash of power destroyed the mage's underground citadel and buried the weapon for all time. There it had slept and waited for the day one that could wield it's power would arrive. Now it sensed the chaotic waves of one who could wield it's mighty power.   
  
Soon the weapon would see the light of day once again. Soon it would have a master worthy of wielding it. Let the enemies of it's eventual master beware the might of Mr. Sharpie! Stupid child chaos mages it grumbled to itself. Didn't they know it was female!  
  
*******************  
  
Back at the Tendo residence...  
  
Kasumi had just stepped onto the covered walkway that led to the Dojo. Humming to herself as she moved along, she was interrupted as she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she wondered who it might be.   
  
"Hello? Can I help you?" she asked with a smile.  
  
Turning sharply, the mysterious figured was quite surprised. He thought he had made sure nobody could see him. Tossing his curiosity aside, the figure decided to be civil and ask instead of trying to sneak around.  
  
"Um...yes. You wouldn't happen to know a Ranma Saotome would you?" the figure asked.  
  
Nodding, Kasumi replied, "Oh my, yes I do. In fact, I was just going to see him. Would you like me to show you where he is?"  
  
"Um...yes please." said the figure, twiddling his fingers.  
  
As the mysterious figure joined Kasumi heading towards the dojo, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Soon. Soon he'd give Saotome what was coming to him!"  
  
*******************  
  
In the Dojo...  
  
Ranma continued to practice, each minute making more of the energy from Jusenkyo his own. He knew it would take months if not a year before he was finished with his task.  
  
He was interrupted from his thoughts as the door to the Dojo was slid open. Stepping through was Kasumi holding Rhea, and a mysterious figure wearing a old cloak.  
  
Reigning in the black corona of energy that surrounded him, Ranma wondered who the figure was. Before he could ask, he was interrupted by said figure.  
  
"Ranma Saotome! Because of you...my sister is getting married!" shouted the figure as he jumped toward Ranma.  
  
Landing in front of him, Ranma wondered what this mysterious figure wanted. And the comment about a sister stirred his memory slightly.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Ranma.  
  
Blinking a moment, the figure chuckled a little before removing his cloak and hood to reveal a pale green skinned Oni wearing a polo shirt and slacks.  
  
It took a few seconds before recognition finally settled in Ranma's eyes. Smiling, he grabbed the oni up in a big hug.  
  
Suffering through the hug, the oni waited until Ranma had finished. His skin began to take a bluish tint before he was finally released from the monsterous hug. Shaking his head, and regaining his breath, the oni cracked his back before Ranma began to speak.  
  
"George! How ya been man. It's been a while." said Ranma.  
  
Smirking, George replied, "I've been good. Though my sister has missed you."  
  
Chuckling a little, Ranma replied, "Oh? Sorry bout that. So what's this about her getting married?"  
  
"Oh yes. That reminds me, I have something for you." George said as he pulled out an envelope.  
  
Taking the envelope, Ranma opened it and began reading while Kasumi approached the pair. She was curious about what was going on.   
  
Once Ranma finished reading the letter, he looked up with a smile, "You know, I thought those two made a good couple."  
  
Shaking his head, George replied, "Only you would. You wouldn't believe some of their moments together I've had to witness. For instance, this one time..."  
  
***Flashback***  
  
Near the edge of a small lake, beneath the pale moon glow, two oni sat staring into each other's eyes. Nearby, George the oni sat watching the spectacle with some disgust and some happiness.  
  
Gazing deeply into her love's eyes, the female oni said, "John".  
  
While gazing deeply into his love's eyes, the male oni said, "Marsha"  
  
"John" said the female Oni.  
  
"Marsha" said the male Oni.  
  
"John" said the female Oni.  
  
"Marsha" said the male Oni.  
  
"John" said the female Oni.  
  
"Marsha" said the male Oni.  
  
"John" said the female Oni.  
  
"Marsha" said the male Oni.  
  
Snorting at the scene, George went back to his flying carpet. It figured he was going to get roped into being the designated carpet flier that night. His parents still didn't trust their daughter's fiancee even though they were to be married.  
  
Leaning back, George began to read one of his favorite comedy books entitled 'Dante's Inferno'.  
  
***End Flashback***  
  
"Sorry about that man" said Ranma.  
  
Shrugging, George replied, "It's alright."  
  
Deciding to worm her way in, Kasumi asked, "Ranma-kun, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"  
  
"Oh I'm sorry. George, this is Kasumi. Kasumi, this is George." said Ranma, embarrassed he'd forgotten about the other person in the dojo momentarily.  
  
Taking her hand, George gave a small kiss upon the back side of it, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."  
  
Blushing a little, Kasumi replied, "Thank You."  
  
"So how did you meet Ranma here?" asked George.  
  
"He just arrived today actually." replied Kasumi.  
  
"Yeah, pops and Mr. Tendo had decided to engage us. Didn't even find out about it till today." said Ranma.  
  
Blinking a moment, George said, "You mean the Wild Horse of Chaos has finally gotten engaged to be married! Bwahahaha! I never thought I'd live to see the day!"  
  
"Hey!" said Ranma a little miffed.  
  
"Oh my. Why is that?" said Kasumi, genuinely curious.  
  
Controlling his laughter, George replied, "Oh it's just that since I've known him, any girl that's tried to get close to him has been frightened off for some reason or another. Usually something weird and unpredictable. And those that weren't scared off, can't keep up with him. That's why he's called the Wild Horse of Chaos. He's never been tamed and spreads chaos wherever he goes!"  
  
Giggling, Kasumi replied, "Well I think I can handle him. Besides, he's so cute when he pouts."  
  
Breaking into laughter again as he saw Ranma was indeed pouting, George said, "Oh she's definitely a keeper Ranma. You take good care of this one."  
  
Chuckling himself, Ranma replied, "Don't worry, I will."  
  
"So what's in the letter Ranma-kun?" asked Kasumi.   
  
Handing her the letter, Kasumi began to read it to herself. Rhea read it as well since she was still in Kasumi's arms.  
  
***Letter***  
  
You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of John Big and Marsha Cliche to be held on Sunday the 5th at the temple of the forest spirits.   
  
You may bring one additional guest with you. Gifts are welcome but not necessary. Magical weapons shall be checked at the door. Any fighting will result in a tar and feathering.  
  
***End Letter***  
  
Looking up, Kasumi said, "Oh my. This sunday?"  
  
Nodding, George said, "Sorry it's such short notice. But Ranma here is hard to track down. Even with that strange energy of his."  
  
Chuckling a little, Ranma said, "Sorry about that. But pops was dragging me all over."  
  
"So who you going to invite?" asked George, winking at Kasumi who smiled.  
  
Not catching the wink, Ranma said, "Hey Kasumi, want to go to a wedding?"  
  
Smiling, Kasumi replied, "I'd love to Ranma-kun."  
  
Nodding, George said, "Well, I need to be off. I still have a few other invites to deliver."  
  
"Alright man. I'll see you at the wedding then." said Ranma.  
  
Putting his cloak back on, George bid his farewells before departing the Tendo property. He smiled as he thought about his friend and his new fiancee. His smile soon turned to frown as he wondered how some of Ranma's distant admirers would take the news. Hopefully none of them would do anything about it. Especially Urd. Who knows what might happen if she meddled.  
  
*******************  
  
Back in the dojo...  
  
As Ranma and Kasumi watched George leave, Rhea hopped out of Kasumi's arms and headed outside to check out the yard.  
  
It was beginning to get late and the sun was starting to set. Sitting on the steps of the dojo, Ranma and Kasumi watched as the sky began to turn a brilliant orange mixed with various shades of red. It was a beautiful sunset that was being shared by two people who had just met that day. And yet even though they had known each other a short time, they were beginning to feel the stirrings of the potion called love.  
  
Whether or not it bore fruit, was still yet to be decided. But for the time being, neither really thought much about it. There would be plenty of time for that later. For now, they simply watched as the sun sank below the horizon.   
  
Out in the yard, Rhea simply smiled as she watched Kasumi lean her head against her friend's shoulder. It was times like this she wished she could use a camera. Shrugging to herself, she knew that later she would finally get the answer to both her and Ranma's question. And if it panned out, she hoped that there was something she could do.  
  
For now though, she too watched the sunset and wondered what the future may bring.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author Notes:  
  
Ranma has finally arrived at the Tendo's. But what secret could Kasumi hold that worries Rhea so? Will Akane ever adjust to the higher chaos levels? When will Mr. Sharpie meet her master? What ancient evil is about to be set free? And just what will an Oni wedding be like? Especially when it's the Big - Cliche wedding! All this and more in the next exciting chapter of Ah! My System Bug!


	3. Author's Notes

Author Note:  
  
Hey all,  
  
Yeah I know it's been a while. But here is some of what I've been working on. A holiday gift. A brand new chapter of Ah! My System Bug! I hope you all enjoy it!  
  
In other news, Yes I know alot of you want more Child of the Goddess. Well now that this chapter is FINALLY done. Whew...I can begin work again on Child of the Goddess. I do have parts of the next chapter for that story written. But don't expect it any time soon. I also have a few more chapters with bigger revisions that I'll post soon.  
  
Also, for anyone that is interested, Ah! My System Bug is going to become a few books. This is only Book 1. Essentially a setup of things to come. I'm figuring about 6 to 9 chapters for book one. Maybe more, maybe less. But it'll be done when it's done. I already know how I'm ending book 1 too. ;-) Each book will cross Ranma with another series. This is Ranma/AMG. Next will be Ranma/whatever I decide.  
  
Now then, enjoy the chapter. Leave feedback. Then sit back and suffer till I release a new chapter. :P  
  
P.S. I want fanart! Especially of Rhea.  
  
Thanks!


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